


A Pirate's Life For Me

by Hepzheba



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Deputy Derek, Deputy Stiles, Dogs, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Humor, K9 unit, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-22 02:18:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hepzheba/pseuds/Hepzheba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sheriff's department of Beacon Hills is finally getting a K-9 unit. Stiles is thrilled. Well, he would have been if he had remembered that they were starting today. He wishes someone had reminded him. He also wishes someone had informed him that his new colleague and the one who's going to help them start the K9 unit is smokin' hot. Or that is new partner in form of a dog kind of lives to disobey him.<br/>If this doesn’t work out he hopes his dad will write him a letter of recommendation to a department somewhere in Alaska. </p><p>There are no real pirates in this story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wolffffflock (Hun__Sher)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hun__Sher/gifts).



> A long, long time ago on Tumblr, the amazing [Lucy](http://wolfflock.tumblr.com/) said she wanted an AU with Derek as the new deputy to help setting up a K9 unit and Stiles falling for him. I wrote an excerpt and Lucy wanted me to continue. She also helped me naming the dogs. Now I finally feel that I can begin the publishing of this. It's the first longer work I've ever published, so be gentle with me. 
> 
> The rating will go up, but I'll give you a heads up when it does.
> 
> I know nothing of police work nor professional dog handling. I just have lots of imagination.
> 
>  
> 
> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my lovely beta (because I'm the Alpha now).

”Shit, shit, shit, shit.”

Stiles dares to go barely over the speed limit down on his way to the police station. He really doesn’t want to be pulled over by a fellow colleague for speeding. Again. Isaac just wouldn’t stop smirking last time. He really should set the alarm to go off earlier in the mornings. But Mondays were just so hard. Stiles knows that this is a lie – he has a problem getting up every morning (even Sundays but that’s more due to the heavy drinking he may have done on the Saturday night than the early hour). He knows he won’t get fired for being late, not even a warning, but the exasperated look and shake of his dad’s head feels kind of worse than a warning.

Stiles pulls up outside the office and parks his jeep next to his father’s police car; approximately once a month, Stiles complains to Scott about how he doesn’t get his own police car but he knows he probably burnt all his chances when he crashed his second and latest police car into that tree (until this day Stiles swears the tree hadn’t been standing there earlier). He did catch the bad guys, though. The Sheriff forbade Stiles to ever drive one of the police vehicles ever again. Only if there was no one else to drive and someone was dying, were Stiles allowed behind the wheels of any of the police vehicles. He wouldn’t even let Stiles borrow the bicycle (why did they even have one of those?) when Stiles’ jeep broke down but made Stiles’ co-worker Danny pick Stiles up every morning until his jeep was fixed. What Danny received for payment for the trouble Stiles still doesn’t know but he thinks Danny’s brand new computer has something to do with it.

The parking lot outside the office is empty save for three police cars, Stiles’ jeep and a black Camaro that Stiles would love to drive. Maybe if the owner is dead or sent to jail or something Stiles can keep the car? Stiles is pretty sure the car doesn’t belong to any of his colleagues – it would have been all over Facebook the hour it had been bought.

He doesn’t have time to look at the car too closely but hurries inside. Erica raises her eyebrows as Stiles stumbles inside.

“You’re late,” she states.

“Morning to you, too,” Stiles smiles, “is there any--”

He stops mid-sentence and the breath that leaves his lungs may have sounded like a breathless ‘wow’. Next to his own desk stands the firmest, sexiest ass Stiles have ever seen. It’s enveloped in tight, green pants. It’s not just an ass, though. It’s long, firm legs, muscled back and broad, muscled shoulders and Stiles very much wants to get his hands (and lips and tongue and _body_ ) on that one. Deputy Sexy-Ass (Stiles recognizes a police uniform even if he only sees it from behind) turns and, _oh god_ , looks directly at Stiles. The color of his eyes is some kind of hazel-green-ish, Stiles thinks, but he doesn’t really focus on the eyes because _that face!_ There’s a five o’clock shadow on the defined jaw even though it’s only eight in the morning and Stiles would very much like to run his fingers (and lips and tongue and body) over that one. An impressive eyebrow rises at him and Stiles knows he should probably say something. Something smart and welcoming and sexy. The pick-up line for bars probably doesn’t work here because Stiles would have known if this guy had been here before. He scrubs his hand awkwardly over his buzzed hair, trying (and probably failing) at casual.

“Uh.”

Well, there goes smart, welcoming and sexy, Stiles’ inner self states and the outer Stiles keeps staring. Usually Stiles has problems stop talking but right now his mind is completely blank and he can’t come up with anything to say.

“Are you Stilinski?” the guy asks and Stiles finds himself nodding.

He is _a_ Stilinski, even though the guy is probably asking for his father.

“I’m Stiles,” he says and extends his hand and shakes the other guy’s hand (warm, firm handshake), glad he finally ( _fucking finally!)_ finds his voice again. “But you’re probably asking for dad. I mean, the Sheriff. Who happens to be my dad. Don’t worry though, I didn’t get this job because I’m his son. Well, I did get it because I’m his son, but not only because of that. It was more like I was the best applicant. And the only one at the time, but I am good at my job, I swear. That thing in the jewelry store was just an accident and had nothing to do with too much coffee and Adderall, I swear…”

Stiles finally finds the tap to shut off his mouth and bites his lip, hard. The guy looks like he questions Stiles’ sanity, and to be honest so does Stiles. Erica (and how could Stiles forget that Erica was in the same room? She’ll never let him live this down!) snorts and writes something on her computer, probably quoting Stiles’ embarrassment for a mass e-mail to the whole town.

“…and you are?” Stiles asks when the guy doesn’t say anything to introduce himself.

“Deputy Hale,” the guy replies, as if he’s too good to answer with his first name.

“Did your parents really name you deputy?” Stiles asks before he can stop himself and he thinks he hears Erica face-palm.

The guy glares and my, can he glare! Stiles almost backs away in fear of dying in a painfully slow way.

“Derek,” the guy grunts as if he has to force himself to say it.

“Derek, huh?” Stiles says and smiles.

Of course, Derek doesn’t smile back.

“So,” Stiles says, dragging out the vowel, “what can I do for you?”

Derek stares at him and Stiles thinks that maybe he should have known about this deputy coming in and have prepared himself but he can’t remember anything of that kind. The door to his dad’s office opens and the sheriff, Isaac and Danny step out as if they have been waiting inside, peering through the gaps of the blinds and deciding now is the time to end Stiles’ misery.

“Glad you could finally join us, son,” dad says and gives Stiles an unimpressed stare before turning towards Derek. “Good to see you again, Derek.”

They shake hands and Derek seems to like Stiles’ dad more than he likes Stiles. Stiles finds he can’t really blame Derek.

“I see you’ve met Stiles,” dad introduces, “and Erica? This is Isaac Lahey and Danny Māhealani…”

Stiles tunes them out as dad goes into business mode and Stiles can’t understand how he could forget about the newly-hired deputy that was going to help them start a K-9 unit. And why hadn’t anyone told him that the deputy was some kind of Adonis? Stiles knows that it’s mostly his own fault, hadn’t he been lying in the hospital (because of that tree that jumped in front of his car) he would have been with his dad interviewing Derek for the position.

“I’m so screwed,” he mutters and Erica laughs.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she says and Stiles knows it was very bad when Erica’s lying to be nice to him.

 

Stiles knows he’s going to see a lot of Derek, he is after all the one who’s going to be their other dog handler, but he doesn’t know if he likes this fact or not. He had made a complete ass out of himself on their first meeting and he has a distinct feeling he’s going to keep embarrassing himself until he dies or Derek leaves town, whichever comes first.

“He was so hot and I… I panicked. I couldn’t say anything smart,” he complains later to his best friend Scott over the phone.

He can hear a cat meowing from Scott’s end of the phone from the veterinary clinic Scott’s working at.

“Do you ever say something smart?” Scott asks and it’s a fair question.

“It’s horrible!” Stiles exclaims and places his feet on his desk, even though his dad has forbidden it.

“I know, dude,” Scott says. “Look, remember when I met Allison?”

“Yeah, you were…”

“I was in love!” Scott defends himself even before Stiles has found the right adjective to describe sixteen year old Scott. “And it worked out well in the end, didn’t it?”

“I guess,” Stiles sighs. “No offence, but Allison…”

“Allison’s gorgeous!” Scott defends his wife fiercely.

“Yeah, but this guy is… he’s… He’s like a freaking god or something.”

He can practically hear Scott roll his eyes from the other line of the phone.

“Look, man, I’ve gotta go. Unlike some, I have work to do,” Scott says and Stiles sighs.

“Yeah, that cat sounds kinda ill.”

“She’s not,” Scott defends the meowing cat, “she’s just here for a vaccination.”

“Oh, right. Make sure she survives then,” Stiles says. “See you later, dude!”

“Yeah, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Scott says.

Stiles hangs up the phone (his office phone, of course) and leans back in the chair. It’s still two hours till lunch and he knows he should go find his dad and Derek but he really doesn’t want to see Derek right now.

“The Sheriff asked me to take you to meet the dogs,” someone suddenly says from behind Stiles and Stiles quickly tries to remove his feet from the desk before his father sees him. He does get his feet off the desk, but his chair is pushed backwards and Stiles finds himself on the floor.

“Ouch,” he says and looks up to see Derek (of course) looking down at him with an unimpressed scowl.

Stiles tries to smile at him as he pushes himself up, ignoring the pain in his ass.

“I did that on purpose,” he says and Derek merely stares at him, but he can hear a snicker from behind him.

“Shut up, Isaac,” Stiles says and glares at Isaac who tries for the innocent puppy-look, which may have worked two years ago when they started working together. “So the dogs?”

“I’ve got two,” Derek says, “they’re still at home.”

“Right, we can totally go get them together,” Stiles says and the look Derek sends him tells Stiles he would rather get the dogs himself but Stiles figures he can’t back down so he merely smiles brightly at Derek.

Derek grunts and they walk towards the exit together. Stiles flails at Greenberg who’s doing obscene gestures with his hands and mouth behind Derek’s back to the other deputies' great amusement.

“You’re fired,” Stiles hisses even though he can’t fire anyone really.

Derek looks quizzically between Stiles and Greenberg, who thankfully sits still and tries on Isaac’s innocent puppy-look without much success.

“Don’t listen to him,” Stiles tells Derek when they are outside. “In fact, don’t listen to anyone of them, they’re all crazy. It’s mandatory for the job. Not that you’re crazy or anything! But they are. I’m not crazy either, I’m just… is this your car?”

Stiles stares at the black Camaro which he had forgotten the moment he laid eyes on Derek and apparently it’s Derek’s car. Well, _of course_ it’s Derek’s car.

“Can I drive?” Stiles asks and Derek’s scowl deepens which is answer enough. “Or not. You drive. You driving is fine by me. Actually I prefer if you drive.”

Stiles swears at himself and gets in the car.

“It’s a nice car,” he says and Derek merely grunts in reply, but Stiles thinks it’s an affirmative grunt. “So how do you find Beacon Hills so far? You moved here from New York, right?“

Derek nods so Stiles continues.

“It’s quite different from the big apple, right? I’ve never been there, always wanted to go there though.”

Stiles babbles and Derek drives and sometimes nods, shrugs or grunts. Stiles has almost given up his tries to make Derek answer with more than one word.

”You’ve been working with dogs for long?”

Derek shrugs, “Grew up with them and when I was finished at the academy I got a job as a dog handler. I find dogs easier than people.”

Stiles almost gapes at him, this is the most Derek has said and he revealed a bit about himself. He looks like he regrets it though so Stiles hurries to reassure him.

“Yeah, they’re not lying, right? Not pretending to like you to get something in their own favor. I had a dog when I grew up, called her Frances. And it’s a very good name.”

“Never said it wasn’t,” Derek says and Stiles smiles at him because Derek actually answered even though there was no direct question.

“But you thought,” Stiles says and laughs when Derek doesn’t even try to deny it.

“You’ve never worked with dogs?” Derek asks and Stiles shakes his head.

Derek sighs deeply.

“But I’m totally a dog person,” Stiles tries but the good moment they had seems to be lost and Stiles sits silent for the rest of the drive.

Derek lives in the outskirt of the town and he seems reluctant to let Stiles see his apartment. Stiles is way too curious to let the opportunity pass so he pretends not to notice Derek’s unease. When Derek unlocks the door there’s the sound of claws against the wooden floor and then two large dogs greet them in the hallway. Stiles thinks it’s two dogs at least. One of them is a Rottweiler with a large head and wagging tail. It’s the other dog that Stiles is doubtful even should be called a dog. It has almost white paws and its back is dark gray and it looks very much like a wolf, if Stiles may say so. Both dogs sniff on Derek’s legs and his extended hands and Stiles sees Derek’s shoulders relax somewhat. The Rottweiler by-passes Derek to sniff and lick at Stiles’ hands, its tail wagging excitedly. The other one doesn’t seem to care about Stiles at all.

“Is that… is that a wolf?” Stiles asks and scratches the Rottweiler behind its ear.

Derek gives him a look that tells Stiles that he’s stupid to believe that someone has a wolf in their apartment.

“She’s a Vlcak,” he says, “Czechoslovakian Wolf-dog.”

“Part wolf then at least?” Stiles asks and Derek nods.

“This is Talia,” Derek pats the wolf-dog on her head, “and Pirate. Talia’s five and Pirate’s thirteen months and your partner, if you want him.”

Stiles kneels next to the dog and he licks his face and Stiles can’t keep in the giggle that escapes him.

“You’re such a pretty boy, aren’t you?” he coos at the dog and Derek rolls his eyes.

“Here’s his leash.”

Derek hands Stiles a black leather leash and Stiles fastens it in Pirate’s collar.

Stiles only gets to see the hall and part of a couch in the living room before they leave. They go back to the office to introduce their colleagues to the dogs. Talia keeps herself almost glued against Derek’s right leg while Pirate is all over the place, greeting everyone happily. Stiles even hears Erica cooing at the dog and maybe that girl has a heart after all? He wonders how Lydia will react to the dog. He’s doubtful they will let Pirate in at the forensic department though. Stiles, Derek and their dogs leave the office for the training grounds behind the building to get to work.

Apparently though, Stiles can’t do anything correct when it comes to dogs. He’s grown up with a dog and thought he would do pretty well, but Derek has another opinion.

“Who’s the boss of the two of you?” Derek asks and Stiles points at Pirate, even though he knows that’s not the answer Derek wants to hear. “You should be walking him, not the other way around.”

“He doesn’t know me,” Stiles protests, “there’s no reason for him to follow my lead.”

“Then give him a reason,” Derek says through gritted teeth.

He may be gorgeous but he’s an ass, Stiles realizes and he really wishes that the realization that Derek’s an ass would make him less attractive but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Talia follows Derek’s every lead and would probably jump of a cliff if Derek asked her to, and Stiles is not jealous of their bond, not at all.

Pirate is full of energy and as soon as Stiles’ concentration falters even the slightest so does Pirate’s and he’s listening to birds or squirrels or whatever dogs listen to when they’re busy not listening to their owners.

Stiles thinks it goes better at the end of their training session but Derek looks as grumpy as ever so Stiles isn’t sure he’s allowed to have an opinion.

At the end of the day Pirate is to come home with Stiles. Together he and Derek unload a big bag of food, two bowls and a large, black dog mattress from Derek’s Camaro and into Stiles’ jeep. When they’re done Stiles expects Derek to almost run to his car and speed off, but he stays with Stiles and Pirate, patting Pirate’s head and Stiles has the feeling he wants to say something, but Stiles is not sure what.

“Are you okay?” he asks even though he suspects Derek won’t answer truthfully.

“Of course,” Derek says but he seems sad and Stiles realizes that until this moment Pirate has been Derek’s dog and now he’s leaving him with another person.

“Do you…”

Stiles wets his lips, not sure what to say.

“Want me to leave you two alone?” he finally asks.

Derek gives him a blank stare, as if Stiles has misinterpreted the situation completely, which Stiles is sure he hasn’t.

“Take care of him,” Derek just says and Stiles smiles.

“’Course, he’ll sleep in my bed,” he says and Derek’s grumpy face seems to soften a bit and there’s almost a smile on his lips.

“See you tomorrow,” he says and walks back to his Camaro.

Stiles does not watch his ass as he leaves.

When they get home Stiles places the bed next to his own in his bedroom even though he told Derek Pirate would sleep in his bed he’s not sure the dog would want that. He probably hasn’t been allowed into Derek’s bed and Stiles thinks it’s probably a good idea to not let a dog into his bed. There’s a note on the bag of food saying how much food he should give Pirate, even though Derek has told him, like five times already.

“Your old daddy seems very protective of you,” Stiles tells the dog and Pirate bangs his tail happily against Stiles’ leg.

They eat and then Stiles goes for a run with Pirate trotting happily beside him and Stiles thinks he really can get used to this workout partner. Pirate doesn’t seem very interested in his surroundings but seems content just trotting beside Stiles.

Stiles leaves Pirate at home for an hour tops as he goes to the local pet store. Pirate already has a collar and a leash and everything else a dog needs, but Stiles wants more things for Pirate than just the things needed. Pirate’s collar is silver and the leash is black and Derek has probably never bought anything for any of the dogs that wasn’t required. Stiles gets stuck by the bandanas and ends up buying one that’s plain blue, one with camouflage pattern and one that is black with skulls. He knows that Derek will either roll his eyes or frown at the one with the skulls (if not at all of them) and he can’t wait to see which expression Derek will use.

He buys one pink bandana for Talia because he knows it will piss Derek off. Stiles is all for gender equality and doesn’t think a color represents any of the genders more, but Pirate would look ridiculous with his red-brown chest and a pink bandana. Stiles also believes the pink one will upset Derek the most and that is a reason as good as any.

He restrains himself from buying a bandana that says ‘The Boss’ for Pirate because then Derek will think he isn’t trying at all which Stiles totally is.

When Stiles curls up on the couch that night to watch a rerun of CSI, Pirate doesn't wait long before he jumps up beside Stiles and making himself comfortable. Maybe Derek does have a heart inside that (very muscular) chest of his and lets his dogs cuddle with him on the couch? It seems, to Stiles, as if Pirate has been cuddling on a couch before.

When the episode ends, Pirate is lying on his back, all four paws into the air and snores softly. Stiles shuts off the tv and leaves the dog on the couch when he goes to bed. He wakes up two hours later by the distinctive sound of claws against wooden floor and then a heavy weight settles itself next to Stiles. Stiles can't help but smile as he pats Pirate's side slowly.

Stiles does not, in fact, wake up to a dog who wants to go outside to pee, which is a way he got used to waking up when he had Frances. Instead he wakes up by his alarm clock and Pirate seems even more inclined to ignore the soft notes of Clair de lune than Stiles is.

Stiles only pushes the snooze button twice this morning and they don’t even appear late to work.

"I was afraid he'd have bad influence on you," is Derek’s way of greeting and it's at least better than the grunt Stiles expects from him.

“Are you talking to me or the dog?” Stiles grins.

“You, actually- what the fuck is he wearing?”

Derek scowls at his old dog and the bandana with skulls Stiles choose for the day.

“You like it? I bought one for Talia too.”

Derek looks like he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry and finally sets on scowling some more – but Stiles thinks it may be just his default expression.

Stiles gets the pink bandana from his bag. Talia let's him put it around her neck, she looks doubtful but she doesn’t stop him. Neither does Derek and Stiles counts that as a win. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pirate is a Rottweiler and I haven’t researched anything about this breed but used my own experience. He is loosely based on my sister’s dog. It was when I started watching pictures of Rottweilers (because they're gorgeous) that I realized that docking a dog’s tail isn’t illegal in the US(!) I’m from Sweden and it’s been illegal here since ’89 so I’ve never really considered that a Rottweiler could not have its tail. What I want to say with this is that Pirate still has his tail and it will never, ever be chopped off.
> 
> Talia is a Czechoslovakian wolf-dog. Why? Well, I wanted a wolf-dog for Derek and I wanted something other than German Shepherd, even though that seemed like the most obvious choice. I know nothing about the Vlcak except for what Wikipedia tells me. I’ve understood that they’re quite shy but hardworking and smart, though they don’t just work for nothing. I think this personality fits Talia and I’ve tried to stick with this. If you know a Vlcak feel free to tell me about it because I find them fascinating.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, comments make my day and you can find me on [Tumblr.](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've received questions about how often this will be updated, and I think there'll be a new chapter every week. The story is almost done but I don't want my dear beta to exhaust herself. Most of the chapters are quite short, because I couldn't get it into one long story. Most of this story is written before season three and therefore I've ignored all the new characters from this season. 
> 
> A huge thanks to my beta [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/).
> 
> And as always, you can find me on [Tumblr.](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/)

Lydia Martin was the first – and up until this day the only – girl Stiles has ever been in love with. She has strawberry blonde hair and green eyes and in high school Stiles did not, no matter what Scott may say, wax poetic about any of Lydia’s beautiful looks. He may have complimented her brains though, Lydia is scarily smart. It’s a wonder she’s still friends with Stiles, although that may have more to do with Scott being married to her best friend and Stiles’ persistence. And her working at the forensics department which means that Stiles sometimes visits her in job business.

Stiles’ job does not, however, explain why he is sitting in Lydia’s chair on Thursday night spinning around whilst Lydia is making a Molotov cocktail or whatever it is she’s doing that involves liquids and pipettes.

“Why don’t you just ask him to come to Allison’s tomorrow?”

”Allison _and Scott’s_ ,” Stiles corrects her. “We don’t really know each other that well. It’s mostly me making jokes and him wishing one of us were dead. Mostly me, I think.”

Lydia rolls her eyes.

“That’s how every conversation you’ll ever have goes. With everyone.”

Stiles glares at her.

“’S not!” he says. “I’m likeable!”

“Yeah, when you’re asleep,” Lydia smirks, “no scratch that, you drool when you sleep.”

”I hate you,” Stiles lies.

“You love me,” Lydia corrects and smiles at him.

As Lydia is scarily smart she may have a point so when Friday morning comes and Stiles and Derek once again find themselves outside at the training grounds with their dogs, Stiles thinks that it can’t really hurt asking if Derek wants to come to Scott’s. And Allison’s, he hears Lydia’s voice say in his head.

“My friends are having a barbeque tomorrow,” is Stiles subtle opening line as they take a pause from the training (which mainly consists of Stiles trying to make Pirate do things you’d see in a circus and Derek scowling and telling Stiles he is doing it wrong). “I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”

Derek turns his eyes towards Stiles and Stiles reruns the sentence quickly in his head and realizes he kind of asked Derek out. Which was so not what he was going to do. Unless that’s what Derek would want.

“I mean, not _with me_ with me. But it’d be fun if you wanted to come. You can bring someone, if you want. Isaac, Erica and Danny will be there. And Lydia. Have you met Lydia? No? She works at the forensics. She’s brilliant. And scary. But brilliant. And her hair is strawberry blonde and…”

 _God,_ please, make him stop talking! Stiles finally clamps his mouth shut and dares a look at his side where Derek almost looks amused.

“Is she your girlfriend?” he asks and Stiles shakes his head quickly.

“No! No, totally not! I mean, I was in love with her through most of high school but we’re just friends… Not that she wouldn’t want me now, I’m sure she does, but I’m over her.”

Why is Stiles sounding as if he has a huge crush on his friend when he’s trying to impress this guy? Kind of ambiguous of him really.

“It’s at seven, I’ll text you the address,” Stiles says and he would have continued the conversation (monologue?) if it wasn’t for Pirate who comes running out through the woods at them with something in his mouth. “Oh, my god, what has he done?”

Stiles hurries towards Pirate who happily drops the very dead rabbit at Stiles’ feet.

“Look, he brought you a gift,” Derek says and sounds quite happy, the sadistic bastard.

Stiles looks down at the corpse of the once furry rabbit. It’s quite clear that Pirate did not kill it; it has probably been dead for a few days at least by the look of it.

“Thank you, Pirate,” Stiles says weakly and Pirate preens.

 

By seven that night Stiles is quite nervous, he doesn’t know if Derek will actually show up but the thought that Derek _might_ show terrifies him.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” he says and leans over the sink in the kitchen of Scott and Allison’s house.

“No, you’re not,” Allison says and pats his cheek. “You’re gonna be fine. You’d never get to know him if you don’t take chances, right?”

Stiles wants to glare at her but Allison’s so cute with her dimples and dark hair and Stiles can’t even find it in himself to even pretend to not like her. Allison is a very likeable person.

“Wow, look at that car!” Scott says and leans over the sink to almost press his whole face against the window pane.

Stiles knows, even without looking, that it’s Derek’s Camaro. Jackson has a fancy Porsche but Scott has seen Jackson’s Porsche before and shouldn’t be impressed. If Jackson hasn’t decided to upgrade to a new Porsche, that is. But Jackson is already in the garden on the backside so unless he decided to have his new car delivered to his friend’s house, this isn’t Jackson’s car.

Stiles looks through the window and it is the black, now familiar Camaro that Scott stares at. His breath hitches and he thinks he might have a small panic attack.

“You’re gonna be fine,” Allison says and leaves the two men in the kitchen to make sure the fire on the grill doesn’t spread to the house or something like that.

Scott tries to be manly and all that – and barbequing is very manly, according to Scott – but everyone knows that Allison’s the one who does the barbequing. Scott can’t cook anything to save his own life.

The driver’s door of the Camaro opens and Derek emerges. Stiles may have whimpered at the sight of his co-worker in jeans (tight jeans!), a grey t-shirt and black leather jacket, but Scott doesn’t notice and Stiles will never ever tell.

“Look at that chest!” Scott says, voice in awe and brown eyes huge.

“I know,” Stiles whispers.

“I think I understand why you like him,” Scott says and then finds himself. “But I’m straight. And married.”

He points to his wedding ring to prove his point – as if Stiles hadn’t been best man at his wedding.

“I’m definitely straight,” Scott says, “look at _her_!”

The her Scott is referring to is a tall, dark-haired woman who emerges from the passenger seat and Stiles’ heart sinks.

“I’m sorry, dude,” he says and claps Stiles’ shoulder because there’s no way that woman is anything other than Derek’s girlfriend.

Talia jumps out of the car and follows the couple up to the door and then the doorbell rings.

“We should probably get that,” Stiles says.

“Yeah,” Scott says but neither of them moves.

The doorbell rings again and Stiles hears Allison in the hall.

“Are you boys done drooling over the car?” she asks and then he hears the door opening and Allison greets her guests.

There’s the sound of paws on floor and then Pirate comes running through the hallway and then the dog probably attacks the newly-arrived guests. Stiles decides he should be a responsible dog owner and goes to protect Derek’s girlfriend’s dress from Pirate.

To his surprise the woman is down on her knees letting Pirate lick her face and giggles happily.

“I’ve missed you, too, sweetie,” she says and scratches at the dog’s neck.

Stiles’ heart clenches, the relationship must be quite serious if she knows Pirate that well. Stiles had kind of hoped this was just some girl Derek had picked up since he came to Beacon Hills, but if she knows Pirate then she probably came with Derek from New York. No one moves across the country for a relationship that isn’t serious, right? Derek looks unfazed by the sight of his girlfriend almost making out with his former dog and shakes Allison’s outstretched hand. Talia stands behind Derek and it almost looks as if she’s hiding.

“Allison Argent-McCall,” Allison greets and Stiles doesn’t know if he’s imagining the stiffening of Derek’s shoulders.

“Nice to meet you,” Derek says and the stiffness is gone, as it wasn’t there in the first place.

“Hi,” Stiles says from the door to the kitchen and waves awkwardly at Derek. “Glad you could make it.”

Talia’s ears perk up at Stiles’ voice and Stiles is glad he has left some kind of impression on the dog. Derek almost smiles at him and then Stiles’ view of Derek is obscured by the top model Derek apparently is dating.

“Hi, I’m Laura,” she smiles and Stiles shakes her outstretched hand. “You must be Stiles? Derek’s told me about you.”

Derek glares at Laura whose smile widens and she laughs.

“Come on,” Stiles says and shows the newly arrived guest through the hallway and out onto the lawn.

Isaac is managing the grill, a beer in his left hand and grill tweezers in his right. Lydia and Jackson sit at the table, wine glasses in front of them and they look at something on Lydia’s phone.

“Look!” Lydia cries and pushes her phone closer to Jackson’s face, “I was right.”

Jackson scowls at her and Stiles think he should probably interrupt them before they start throwing things at each other.

“Everybody, this is Derek and Laura,” Stiles says. “Isaac. Lydia. And latest and ugliest, Jackson.”

Jackson flips Stiles the bird.  
“At least I get laid more often than you, Stilinski,” he says and Stiles wonders why Jackson still hangs out with them.

He’s a childhood friend of Danny’s and used to date Lydia in high school and then they had some kind of on-off relationship through college but lately they haven’t been anything but friends. No benefits at all. That Stiles has heard about at least. And he really doesn’t want to think of Jackson like that.

Isaac and Lydia shake hands with Derek and Laura, but Jackson is a douche so he’s only waving at them before engrossing in his own phone.

A few minutes later Danny arrives and he’s barely seated when Erica and her boyfriend Boyd come. Boyd is a huge man working as a firefighter and lifting weights in his spare time, by the looks of it. Boyd hasn’t met Pirate earlier and he, like the rest of Stiles’ friends, falls head over heels for the dog as they wrestle on the lawn. Boyd is a man of few words, much like Derek, so maybe he too feels it’s easier to be around dogs?

Stiles seats himself next to Lydia and motions for Derek (and Laura) to sit next to him. They do, only Laura ends up right next to him and Derek beside her.

Laura is funny and talkative and really nice and Stiles thinks they could be great friends if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s dating Derek and Stiles gets a clump of jealousy in his belly every time he thinks of this, which he does a lot.

Pirate runs around the table and begs for food. Everyone gives him something from their plates, except for Derek who sighs and rolls his eyes. Stiles thinks Derek may have tried to teach Pirate not to beg but all that training seem to have been forgotten.

The sun sets and Stiles might have been drinking a tad too much as the stars start to twinkle in the sky. He feels the familiar buzz of intoxication as he sits in the hammock, the gentle swing only makes him a bit dizzy. He watches the stars and wonders if a very bright dot on the sky is a star or a planet. Or perhaps a UFO. He still isn’t quite sure if he believes in aliens or not. If aliens do exist Derek’s probably one of them. There’s no way a human can be that good looking. Derek seems to have found a friend in Boyd; they’re engrossed in a conversation of not too many words at the table in the other end of the small garden from where Stiles is seated. He looks up to the stars again and wonders if his mother is watching him, as Mufasa was watching Simba in the Lion King. One day Stiles will write down his thoughts, they’re interesting and Stiles is quite certain other people would find his musings very important and helpful. Maybe they could even change lives?

He suddenly realizes he’s no longer alone in the hammock. Laura smiles as him as he startles when he notices her.

“I haven’t had any time to talk to you alone yet,” she says and Stiles just blinks at her, his mind sluggish and he wonders why she would want to talk to him.

“Derek has told me about you,” she continues and at first Stiles’ heart beats faster and then it almost stops when he realizes that Derek talking about him doesn’t really mean anything as Derek’s dating this gorgeous woman that’s sitting next to Stiles.

“I hope he said I was stunningly handsome,” he says, jokes, that’s all he can do unless he wants to cry and he definitely doesn’t.

“He didn’t, actually,” Laura laughs and Stiles smiles at her, she might just have said that he was handsome. If he squints it could be interpreted as that.

“You must be lucky to have Derek,” Stiles says and Laura looks a bit surprised at this, but finds herself quickly.

“I am. He’s all I’ve got, you know.”

Stiles nods. He guesses that’s what all couples say. Well, everyone except Scott who’d probably (hopefully) say Allison and Stiles were all he had. And his mom. Maybe he would place his mom before Stiles if he had to grade them?

“He’s quite hard to get to know, I guess,” Laura says, “but he’s the best.”

Stiles nods. He doesn’t need to hear this. It makes it so much harder. Derek is a wonderful person and his girlfriend really appreciates him and if they’re happy Stiles will feel guilty for wishing them to break up.

“I guess it doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous, does it?” Stiles jokes and Laura looks amused and puzzled at the same time. Stiles can’t interpret her look but he ignores this and continues, “it’s quite unfair though that two gorgeous people should have each other.”

Laura looks even more puzzled at this.

“You do know that you’re… quite gorgeous too, right?” Stiles says and Laura laughs and blushes.

“Stop it,” she giggles and Stiles grins at her, he likes gorgeous people that don’t really know how gorgeous they are and Laura is definitely one of those people, if her blush is anything to go by. He thinks Derek might know that girls ogle him, but he doubts Derek knows that _Stiles_ ogles him.

“Doesn’t Derek ever tell you you’re gorgeous?” Stiles asks and Laura laughs at that – she laughs!

”He mostly says I’m an annoying, interfering bitch,” she laughs and Stiles gapes in alarm at her.

“No!” he exclaims and now he wants them to break up for completely different reasons than earlier. Laura deserves better than being with such an ass as Derek. (Stiles doesn’t, though.)

“You’re gorgeous, he should tell you every day. I’m gonna tell him to tell you. ‘Cause you are, you know, gorgeous.”

Laura giggles and then there’s suddenly a shadow in front of them, mostly in front of Stiles. Derek glares daggers at him as he squints up. Derek looks really pissed off – and hot. His cheekbones are even sharper than usual because of the light and his eyes are dark. Stiles guesses he can’t really blame Derek if Derek decides to kill him, after all he has practically been hitting on the other man’s girlfriend – not intentionally of course, but repeatedly telling someone how gorgeous they are definitely counts as hitting on someone as far as Stiles is concerned.

“Were you hitting on my sister?” Derek grits out.

“No, I was- it wasn’t- your sister?!”

And then Stiles throws up on Derek’s shoes.

Well, mostly on the grass but some of it does end up on Derek’s shoes. Derek looks horrified, Laura tries to hide her giggles behind her hands and Stiles wants to die. He’s still nauseated and he really doesn’t want to throw up more on Derek. Or in front of Derek. Suddenly Scott’s there and he helps Stiles inside to the bathroom and to drink some water.

Stiles spends the rest of the night in the guest room with a bucket beside his bed but he doesn’t throw up again.

He wonders if his father will be willing to write him a letter of recommendation for his transfer to Alaska.

When Stiles wakes up the next morning, despite the headache and queasiness, he sends Derek an ‘I’m so sorry I threw up on you’-text, his whole _body_ red in embarrassment. He doesn’t expect an answer and even though his head throbs he can’t help but smile and reread the text he received at least once an hour the rest of the day.

_Don’t worry about it. I didn’t really like those shoes anyway. Derek_


	3. Chapter 3

 

The coffee at the office is really bad. Isaac is probably the only one who doesn’t mind the coffee but that’s only because he has like one hundred pounds of sugar and three gallons of milk to every milliliter of coffee. Stiles may be exaggerating this a bit but the thing is that no one likes the coffee and that’s why Stiles is stopping by the local coffee shop every morning when he hasn’t pushed the snooze button one time too many to buy good coffee. Good coffee is latte with flavor and today’s flavor is peppermint mocha. On this morning Stiles orders a large cup of black coffee on a whim, and if anyone asks it’s for his dad but if he just happens to meet Derek first then maybe he’ll feel obliged to give it to Derek – not that it would be his plan from the beginning.

He does meet Derek outside the office – Stiles does not take ridiculously long time to get out of his car when he sees Derek’s car from afar; that would just be pathetic. Stiles just wants to make sure he doesn’t slam the door on the seat belt and that Pirate doesn’t jump out of the car before Stiles tells him to and that he locks the car and other very important things.

Derek almost smiles at Stiles over the rim of the coffee cup and Stiles’ heart does not skip a beat at that.

 

Stiles doesn’t push the snooze button more than once the next morning and he meets up with Derek outside the office once again with coffee cup in hand. This time he has bought Derek a latte – just a regular latte, nothing fancy. Derek scowls at him after the first taste and disposes the cup after just a few sips when they get into the office. Stiles offers Derek his own cup and Derek takes a small sip. The pumpkin spice latte makes Derek’s face scrunch up in a not-adorable way and Stiles laughs at him.

“You have horrible taste,” Derek grunts as they take their seats in the conference room.

“Do not,” Stiles objects, just because. He does not think ‘my lips are where Derek’s lips were’ throughout the morning meeting every time he takes a sip from the paper cup.

After that they go outside to train their dogs. Well, Stiles tries to train Pirate and Derek and Talia give them unimpressed stares every now and then. Especially when Pirate decides the tunnel on the agility field is a good place to lie in. It doesn’t matter what Stiles tempts or threatens with, Pirate stays put, his head on his paws and watching Stiles with his brown eyes.

“I give up!” Stiles cries after five minutes of coaxing and sits down at one of the tunnels ends, watching Pirate’s butt because the damn dog turned around when Stiles tried to bait him with liver treats. Derek comes over from where he and Talia have been doing whatever they’re doing, practicing their telepathic abilities or something. He heaves a sigh, as if _Stiles_ is the one causing all the problem, and whistles a short, sharp tone and calls, “Pirate, come here.”

Pirate hates Stiles, he really does. The Rottweiler trots right out of the tunnel and up to Derek, his tail wagging slowly and tongue lolling out of his mouth. Derek praises him and hands him a dog treat.

“I hate you,” Stiles grumbles, and he isn’t sure if it’s directed at his dog or his colleague.

“Get him to the teeter-totter, he likes that one and then back to the tunnels. He’s just testing you.”

“And lemme guess, I’m failing, aren’t I?” Stiles complains, mostly to himself, but gets off the ground and calls for Pirate to follow him to the seesaw. For some reason Pirate likes the teeter-totter and he has no problem walking over the tipping plank. Pirate happily runs beside Stiles towards the tunnel and into it and he’s almost out – Stiles can see his front paws on the other side – when the dog, once again, stops.

“I hate you,” Stiles groans, “come on out, you stupid dog.”

“He’s smart, you know,” Derek comments and Stiles glares at him. He really wishes he could glare the same way Derek can.

“You mean I’m being outsmarted by a dog?” Stiles grumbles and Derek smirks at him.

“Your words, not mine.”

Stiles goes down on all four in front of the tunnel and stick his hand with a liver treat in his palm as far in as he can reach. Pirate is closer to the opening and Stiles can see when he catches the scent. He eels forward and Stiles retracts his hand slowly until Pirate is out of the tunnel.

“Good boy!” Stiles claps and sees Derek roll his eyes at them.

They jump a few times, go over the teeter-totter a few more times and then when they get to the tunnel the next time, Pirate just runs through it and Stiles whoops and praises his dog loudly.

“You’re the best dog ever!” he exclaims and Pirate is looking at him with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and he looks really happy.

 

They do something with the dogs almost every day, Stiles and Pirate to strengthen their bond and Derek and Talia just to show off.

“How long have you known Pirate?” Stiles asks as he they sit down in the grass for a break during search practice a few days after the agility failure. He feels a bit bad for not asking about this sooner. “Have you had him since he was a puppy?”

“No,” Derek says and follows Stiles’ gaze to where Pirate rolls around in the grass. Talia is lying on her belly next to Derek and every now and then Derek scratches her behind an ear or on her neck.

They’re in their uniform pants but are only wearing black t-shirts with the police crest instead of the dress shirts they normally wear at work and it didn’t really come as a surprise to Stiles that Derek’s chest looks extremely good in the tight tee. Doesn’t make it less harder not to drool, though.

“He belonged to a colleague of mine in New York,” Derek explains, “it’s too much work to train two dogs.”

“What happened to the colleague?” Stiles asks even though he suspects the cause for someone to leave their dog.

“Died,” Derek confirms Stiles’ suspicions.

“On duty?”

Derek gives him a look that says Stiles is crazy for believing an officer of the law enforcement could ever die in the line of duty. Sure, it hasn’t happened in Beacon Hills since forever but in New York that probably happens all the time.

“Heart-attack,” Derek gives as explanation. “Pirate’s been with me for two months but I’ve known him since Paul begun training him. His family wanted me to have Pirate, even though I was going to move here. They loved Pirate but weren’t able to give Pirate the exercise and training that dog needs. I think he has some kind of disorder.”

Stiles laughs.

“There’s nothing wrong with having a disorder,” he says, defending himself and his dog. “People with ADHD are very smart people.”

Derek gives him a calculating look and Stiles sees the moment realization hits.

“You?” he asks and Stiles nods. “I guess that’s why you and Pirate get along so well.”

“Hey!” Stiles says in mock offence and basks in the sound of Derek’s chuckle. “I’ll just give Pirate a few of my Adderalls when he really needs to perform.”

Derek deadpans, “please, don’t.”

Stiles laughs and hugs Pirate when he comes over to them.

“Here, Pirate, kiss,” Derek says and points at Stiles’ face. Pirate isn’t late to do as Derek says and Stiles laughs and ends up on his back trying to keep his face from the large, wet dog tongue. Pirate licks at his arms and neck and everywhere he can reach and Derek laughs and Stiles thinks it might be worth it to get dog drool all over himself just to hear that wonderful sound. At last Derek takes pity on Stiles and with just a tug at Pirate’s collar he gets the dog to back away from Stiles.

“You’re ready for some more?” he asks and Stiles nods as he regains control over his breathing.

Derek heaves himself up from the grass and then extends his hand for Stiles and pulls him up. Stiles’ hand does not tingle at the contact.

 

The next day Stiles and Derek are on patrol together. It’s Tuesday and night and nothing ever happens on Tuesdays and especially not at night, so to be honest Stiles isn’t even sure why they’re still doing this. They are getting closer to Cordy’s which is the only diner in town that’s opened twenty-four seven. Stiles is tired and he needs sugar and he honestly thinks he, as a police officer, should eat as many donuts as possible, but his colleagues seem to be afraid of diabetes (Greenberg), cardiovascular diseases (Isaac) or being fat (Erica and Danny) so Stiles is sad to admit that he doesn’t eat that many donuts. He and Derek haven’t had the conversation about too much sugar yet and this is as good opportunity as any.

“Can we please stop at Cordy’s?” Stiles asks and motions with his hand towards the place.

Derek shrugs but pulls over and Stiles scrambles out of the car and inside. Derek follows him at a more leisure pace. The diner is empty except for a teenage girl who sits behind the counter, taping away quickly on her phone. Stiles clears his throat to make her look up. Her nametag says Mandy.

“Good evening, deputies,” she smiles and her eyes darts towards Derek and his sexiness and her eyes widen a bit and Stiles can’t really blame her even though he does think Derek is too old for her. “What can I get you?”

“I want a banana milkshake and… god, how many different donuts do you guys have?”

The girl shrugs and looks at the donuts displayed behind glass.

“We’re out of the caramel and banana ones,” she says. “And we don’t have all the flavors at the same time. They’d get stale before anyone eats them.”

Stiles may or may not drool a bit over the donuts. There’s sugar and cinnamon coated and chocolate and white and pink and green frosting and Stiles wants to eat them all.

“I…” he says and he hears Derek snort. “What? Don’t you like donuts? Don’t tell me donuts are too delicious for your dark broody-ness.”

Derek scowls at him and Stiles turns to the donuts again.

“I’ll have… god, I want them all, can I?”

“Fine with me,” the girl chuckles but Derek scowls harder and puts a hand on Stiles’ shoulder, the same way he does to criminals when taking them in for custody, though they usually have handcuffs around their wrists. (No, don’t go there, Stiles.)

“Okay, I’ll have the… the… that one,” Stiles points at a donut with green frosting and white sprinkles. “Derek, whaddaya want?”

“Surprise me,” Derek says flatly, the very tone of someone who doesn’t like surprises, “and a coffee. Black.”

Derek leaves Stiles at the counter to find a seat by the windows.

“He’ll want a pink one,” Stiles says and Mandy giggles. “It’s his favorite color,” Stiles lies. At least Stiles thinks he is lying; he has no idea what Derek’s favorite color is, probably black or possibly blood red.

He sits down in front of Derek and pushes over Derek’s cup of coffee and his donut before biting into his own.

“Dude, this is great,” he practically moans and doesn’t care that he hasn’t swallowed the donut (at age twenty-five his dad seems to think Stiles’ lack of manners is no longer his problem).

Derek stares at him, his cup raised half-way to his mouth and he seems to be at a loss of words.

“What?”

“You have… half a donut on your face,” Derek says and takes a sip from his coffee.

Stiles wipes at his face with his hand and Derek rolls his eyes before reaching over and rubbing his thumb at the corner of Stiles’ mouth before withdrawing his hand and _sucking the frosting from the tip of his thumb._ Stiles stares at him, his mouth half-opened and his eyes wide and _oh, god_ , did that just happen? It should not be that hot. Derek turns to his own donut as if nothing happened and Stiles visibly shakes himself to get rid of the spark of arousal. Mandy giggles behind her phone at the counter and Stiles glares at her. She merely raises her eyebrows as if daring him to speak. When did teenager get so obnoxious? Stiles was not… okay, not going there.

“Wanna split the donuts?” Stiles asks because he has no idea what to say. “We could grade them and try all the different flavors. I can make charts – you know, I’m awesome at making charts. None of the others want to eat donuts with me, either they’re afraid of getting fat or diseases or their wives… Well, the wife thing is just Scott. I know he’d totally join me if it wasn’t for Allison. She says it’s unhealthy to eat too much sugar and…”

“Okay,” Derek interrupts and just splits his donut in two before putting one of the halves – the bigger one! – on Stiles’ plate. Stiles grins at him and splits his own and gives Derek the half Stiles hasn’t taken a bite from.

“I like this one best,” Stiles says after taking two bites of each and pointing at the green with the sprinkle. “The pink one tasted artificial.”

“It probably is,” Derek informs him and he has a bit of pink frosting on his lower lip and Stiles wants to reach over the table and wipe it away. With his tongue.

He quickly averts his eyes away from Derek and his mouth and gets out a pen from his pocket and pulls out a napkin from the napkin stand. He writes their names on top and on the side he writes _pink_ and underneath that _green with sprinkles_.

“How many points would you give that one?” he asks and points with the pen at the pink one.

“Out of what?” Derek asks, “Five? Ten?”

“Let’s go with five,” Stiles decides and chews at the non-inky end of the pen.

Derek has a peculiar expression on his face as he keeps his eyes on Stiles’ face before looking down at the donuts.

“Two, I guess.”

Stiles nods and writes it down on the napkin underneath Derek’s name at the same height as the word _pink_. He then writes two point five in his own column.

“I didn’t know we could give halves,” Derek says as if it really matters.

“You can give them anything you want between zero and five,” Stiles says.

“Then I’ll give it two point thirty-five,” Derek says obnoxiously.

Stiles sticks out his tongue at him and doesn’t change the points.

 

Stiles isn’t sure what blackmail material his dad has found on Isaac, but he is the first person to walk onto the training grounds in a bite suit for their training. He looks like the Michelin man, except the Michelin man has never looked so close to tears.

“It’ll be okay, Lahey,” Stiles’ dad says in a calm, but at the same time commanding, tone, as if daring the dogs to misbehave. Isaac nods but doesn’t say anything. Stiles thinks he might not be able to find his voice. He doesn’t blame him at all.

Stiles wonders if he’s really ready to handle a dog – _his_ dog, his Pirate – attacking a human being, but Derek says they’ll do fine and Stiles thinks maybe he should trust Derek.

It goes fine. Pirate is listening more to Stiles than he probably has ever done before, maybe he feels Stiles’ nervousness and the seriousness in the situation and instead of making a fool of Stiles he tries to help? Stiles has never loved the dog more than when Pirate attacks Isaac, biting into his arm when Isaac tries to run away (on their order, not because he’s scared) and then lets go as soon as Stiles tells him to.

Derek looks – well, impressed isn’t the correct word, but maybe satisfied with their work. He even gives Stiles a “good job” and there’s not a sign of the sarcastic eyebrow. Stiles does not preen as much as Pirate does at Derek’s approval. (He totally does.)

“I was scared he was gonna eat me,” Isaac retells them later that evening when he, Stiles, Derek, Erica and Danny have gathered around one of the tables at one of the local bars. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, Stiles, I’ve seen the progress you’ve made – Pirate hasn’t stopped in a tunnel for what? Two, three weeks?”

“Four,” Stiles announces proudly. Stiles and Pirate’s tunnel failures have been caught on tape by someone and uploaded to youtube. Stiles still hasn’t come up with a good enough revenge on Greenberg for that.

“Yeah,” Isaac says and waves his hand in a way he wouldn’t do if he was sober, “what I mean is, his jaws, man, they could crush me. If he wanted to. Not that I think he would want to, but I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to call him off, you know.”

Stiles glares at Isaac. So what if he had been afraid of the very same thing, it hurts to hear that someone has thought the same thing.

“Next time I won’t call him off,” Stiles grouses and takes a large swig from his beer.

“Lucky you’re not the only one who can control that dog then,” Erica says with a look at Derek and Stiles glares at her. He does not need the reminder that his dog likes Derek more (and it’s not like he himself can blame Pirate either).

“I can control him,” Stiles says, “okay, maybe I’m not a dog whisperer but he likes me just fine, okay? We get along fine and he obeys me.”

Erica gives him a look that clearly says _oh, really?_ Stiles wants to yell ‘attack!’ to Pirate, but Pirate isn’t there and even if he was, that may be inappropriate behavior as they are in a bar. And he’s an officer of the law and shouldn’t hurt people. Even if they do hurt his feelings.

“Hey, guys, knock it off,” Danny says because Danny is a good guy through and through, and he would never yell ‘attack’ if he had a dog. Danny is also a bit allergic to dogs so all in all, he would make a horrible dog handler.

“What?” Erica says, because she is a bitch. A good-looking, sometimes kind bitch, but a bitch nonetheless. “I was just questioning Stiles’ authority with his dog.”

“Shut up!” Stiles tells her hotly and is on his way to get up from the chair to – well, to do something, but he’s not sure what. Erica is a bitch who can fight and Stiles has no doubt she could probably kick his ass.

“Take a walk, Stiles,” Danny says, half-way up from his chair too, and motions for the door.

“Why should I? They’re the ones who started it!” he complains, because he is a defiant kid at heart, especially when he’s been drinking.

Danny stares him down and Stiles mutters something about _stupid bastards_ , but leaves the table. He stumbles some on his way to the door before pushing it opened. He leans against the cold stone wall outside and drags in a slow breath before letting it out through his mouth with a puff. He hears the door open but doesn’t look up, quite certain it’s not someone he knows. Had Scott been there, he’d been following Stiles out, Stiles is sure, but Scott isn’t there so Stiles is left to his own.

“You okay?” someone suddenly asks right beside him and Stiles hates the way the Hale siblings manage to sneak up on him when he’s drunk.

“Jesus, give me a heart attack, why don’t you?” He tries to glare at Derek, but gets distracted by his stubble and high cheekbones. Stiles would very much like to touch Derek’s stubble, but he thinks that might be bad touch so he doesn’t.

“Don’t mind them,” Derek says and Stiles frowns before he remembers the reason he’s outside the bar, instead of with his friends. He huffs and tries to look casual even though the things they said had hurt. Derek’s looking at him as if he understands exactly what Stiles is feeling. Well, not exactly everything Stiles has ever felt, but what Stiles feels about what Isaac and Erica said.

“They’re wrong,” Derek continues and Stiles wants to believe him. Derek looks serious and sober and maybe he’s right? “You did really good. Not just today. Pirate likes you. You haven’t known each other that long and it takes time. You’ll get there.”

Stiles can’t help but smile at the honesty in Derek’s expression and the nice words he is saying.

“Thanks,” he says and grins back.

Derek half-smiles at him. He’s got a beautiful smile and Stiles wishes he could smile more, he stares maybe a bit too long on Derek’s mouth so he averts his eyes up to Derek’s pale eyes. They have a very unusual color, Stiles has come to realize. On first look they look just green or maybe gray, but if Stiles stares closer or longer he sees that the pupil are surrounded by hazel brown. They’re very pretty eyes. Stiles thinks he might be able to drown in them, especially as they seem to get bigger and bigger.

“Whoa.”

There’s a steady grip on both his arms and Stiles realizes that he almost fell on Derek, and that’s why his eyes grew.

“Sorry,” Stiles excuses himself, tries to step back and almost trips on air. If Derek’s hands hadn’t been gripping his arms he might have fallen over.

“I might have fallen,” Stiles says and then giggles, because he’s quite sure he already has fallen, but in a completely different way. “I mean, onto the ground.”

Derek frowns at him, as if trying to solve a puzzle that gives him headache. Or just as if Stiles is giving him a headache. Stiles contemplates kissing him. He leans forward slightly, but the hands Derek still has on his arms stop him.

“How much did you drink?”

“We did shots before you came,” Stiles explains, lifting his hand to his mouth in the miming of taking a shot. He’s lucky he doesn’t really have a shot glass in his hand; he would have missed his mouth with miles.

“Right,” Derek sighs, “come on, let’s get you home.”

Derek leads Stiles to his car with a steady arm around Stiles’ shoulders. Stiles may be leaning into Derek a bit more than necessary. Derek gets Stiles into his car and Stiles fails to buckle his seatbelt.

“Idiot,” Derek huffs and buckles it for Stiles. Stiles takes comfort in the fact that Derek at least likes him enough to not want him to fly through his windshield. Or maybe it’s just his car he likes. It’s a very nice and comfortable car, Stiles thinks as he sinks deeper into the seat and his eyelids get heavier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to my beta [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/).
> 
> And as always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/), where I might ramble from time to time. I also reblog things related to Teen Wolf in general and Sterek in particular.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're following me on Tumblr you might know that lately I've been occupied with a poll about ships. Sadly, Sterek lost to Destiel so consider this chapter as my consolation prize to my fellow Sterek shippers (and if you happen to be a Destiel fan, feel free to take it as a prize for winning).
> 
> As always, [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my beta and you'll find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). Comments make me really happy.

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When Stiles wakes up the next morning he thinks he might have been chewing on cotton the whole night. Why he would do that after he had gotten hit over the head several times he has no idea.

It’s almost twelve o’clock and Pirate whines at him, he probably really needs to pee. Stiles can’t really blame him, he really needs to pee too. He’s still in the same clothes as last night and he has no memory of walking in from Derek’s car. He stumbles to the bathroom to relieve himself and then back to his bedroom. His phone is on the bedside table and Stiles brings it with him when he and Pirate make their way outside. There are two new texts, from Isaac and Erica, both being sorry for what they said to him last night.

The sun is too bright and it’s too warm outside, and Stiles wants to crawl in under his bed and die. He walks slowly and doesn’t really look where they’re going. Pirate pisses on some bushes and some lampposts. Stiles takes the opportunity to send a ‘thank you for helping me home last night without taking advantage of me’-text to Derek. He and Derek have been drinking together two times and both times Stiles has ended up wasted. He cringes in embarrassment when he remembers that he almost kissed Derek. He’s not sure if Derek understood what he was about to do, but the thought that he might makes Stiles nauseated. Or maybe that’s just the hangover.

His phone buzzes in his pocket on his way back to the apartment. He’s barely even gotten it out of his pocket when it buzzes a second time. Both texts are from Derek.

_Don’t worry about it._

_How are you feeling?_

Stiles considers lying but the answers truthfully, that he’s feeling like crap.

_You want me to bring you breakfast?_

“I love this man,” Stiles tells Pirate, indicating his phone. A woman he passes looks at him funnily.

When they’re back at the apartment Stiles decides to take a shower. If Derek is about to show up in the half hour he’s said, Stiles wants to at least look a bit better. Sure, he won’t be winning any awards for good looks but he can at least change out of the crumbled clothes from last night.

Stiles is dozing off on the couch when his doorbell rings. Pirate is up from the couch and at the door with his tail wagging exaggeratingly – the way that makes his whole butt wag – and Stiles knows it’s probably Derek. There are only a few people that makes Pirate wag his tail that much: Derek, Laura, Stiles and his dad. The sheriff is probably on that list because he keeps spoiling Pirate with dog treats every time they meet.

Stiles pushes himself off the couch and shuffles over to the door to open it. Pirate is halfway out jumping against Derek’s leg and Derek scowls at Stiles.

“Do you allow this kind of behavior?” he asks and Stiles smiles smugly back.

“Only against you.”

Derek’s scowl deepens some but he hands over a paper cup holder with four paper cups and a brown paper bag. Stiles feels the smell of coffee and newly baked bread.

“Oh, I love you, man,” he exhales and walks back to the couch. “Come on in,” he says as Derek is still standing awkwardly just outside the door, “I assume you brought something for yourself too, right?”

Derek shuts the door behind him and sits down next to Stiles on the couch as Stiles starts unpacking the bread, the cups with orange juice and the coffees – caramel latte for him and an espresso for Derek.

“So this is where I live, but maybe you were here last night?”

Derek glances at him sideways, “you don’t remember?”

Stiles feels himself grow pale.

“Remember what? Oh, god, what did I say? Did I do something? Did I try…?”

He can’t even say the words; he doesn’t even know which words to use. Did I try to fuck you? seems too blunt, even for him.

Derek frowns at him but doesn’t look like he wants to kill him so Stiles guesses he didn’t invite Derek to his bed.

“You weren’t really that coherent,” he says at last and Stiles sighs in relief, “you did try to strip for me though.”

Stiles chokes on his latte and Derek smirks. Stiles coughs and stares at Derek.

“I did not!” he squeaks, horrified.

“No, you didn’t,” Derek admits, still smirking and being gorgeous.

“You bastard, you waited until I was drinking,” Stiles accuses him and Derek’s smirk grows even wider and Stiles knows he’s right.

“So I didn’t make a fool of myself yesterday?” Stiles asks when they’ve eaten and he’s leaning back against the couch again, nursing his latte. Derek leans back, too, his shirt riding up some on his stomach and Stiles eyes the inch of toned skin visible under the dark fabric.

“No more than usual,” Derek replies and Stiles’ eyes snap up to his face, hoping Derek didn’t notice where he was looking. Derek’s watching the rerun of CSI though so Stiles watches his face instead. The stubble is a bit thicker this morning and his hair is not as styled as it sometimes is, though it’s not in any way not-styled. Stiles wonders what it would be like to drag his fingers through that hair. If it’s soft or sticky from hair gel.

“Don’t worry,” Derek says and Stiles doesn’t really remember what they were talking about, “I’ve been young and stupid too.”

Stiles splutters, “you’re not that much older than me.” After a moment of thought he adds, “are you?” because he doesn’t know how old Derek is. He hasn’t read Derek’s file because they’re not allowed to read their co-workers’ files. Not that that has ever stopped Stiles before but he has never wanted to read someone else’s file as much as he wanted to read Derek’s and because of that he hasn’t.

“Four years,” Derek says.

“And lots of wisdom comes with turning thirty, does it?”

Derek smirks, “not there yet though.”

“When’s your birthday, then? And how do you know how old I am?”

“October,” Derek answers, just glancing at Stiles before looking back at the TV, “I’ve read your file. You want me to believe you haven’t read mine?”

“I haven’t, actually,” Stiles admits, “haven’t gotten the time yet. Though I will next time I’m at the station, believe me. And you can’t just give me the month; you have to give me the date so I can throw you a hell of birthday party.”

“I don’t want a birthday party,” Derek glares at him.

Stiles grins back, “too bad, you’re getting one anyway.”

“Laura has already started planning,” Derek grumbles and his grumpy attitude makes Stiles laugh.

“And I’m so gonna help her with that,” he says.

“I’ll rip your throat out,” Derek threatens and Stiles rolls his eyes, “with my teeth.”

Stiles laughs at him before turning his attention to the TV. The mostly watch in silence, but every now and then they point out an inaccuracy about the police work that is shown on the TV. Derek is even more cynical than Stiles about it all, much to Stiles’ delight.

 

Stiles is jerked awake at the sound of a phone ringing. Something jostles under his head and he raises himself slightly. Derek moves away from where Stiles has been leaning (more like half-lying) on his side, to fish up his phone from his pocket to answer. Stiles squints up at him and Derek mouths a ‘sorry’ at him, probably for waking him up, and walks over to the windows. Stiles feels he should be the one apologizing as he has been sleeping on the other man’s shoulder for almost an hour. He wasn’t even aware he was that close to Derek after they had finished breakfast.

“Yeah, I’ve reserved a table,” Derek says into the phone, his back towards Stiles. “At seven. Sure. I’ll pick you up. Yeah. See you later. Bye.”

Stiles knows what it sounds like and feels his stomach drop, but decides to play it cool.

“A dinner with a beautiful girl, huh?” he winks and Derek rolls his eyes.

“According to you, apparently,” Derek says and he sounds… off.

“What?” Stiles asks because he has honestly no idea how to interpret that.

“You think she’s hot at least,” Derek articulates at him and almost seems angry.

“Dude, are you jealous?”

Derek glares at him and crosses his arms over his chest, “I’m not jealous.”

“Sounds like you are.”

Derek’s scowl deepens. Stiles kind of enjoys how he can make those eyebrows seem even angrier. Sometimes he thinks that they have reached the angriest they can be, but then they just get angrier.

“So, who is she?” Stiles asks when Derek clearly isn’t saying anything.

“It’s Laura,” Derek says and Stiles feels a rush of relief. Sure, he knows Derek can have any woman he wants but Stiles doesn’t know if he’s ready to let go of his fantasy just yet, if he’s ready to be introduced to the future Mrs. Derek Hale.

“Why did you say I think she’s hot?” Stiles inquires curiously.

“’Cause you said so,” Derek says, “repeatedly. Before you threw up on my shoes.”

Stiles winces at the memory.

“Sorry,” he says even though he has apologized for that, multiple times.

Derek opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by his phone ringing once again, “what?”

Derek scowls at Stiles for good measure and turns towards the windows again.

“No, I’m at Stiles’. I don’t know, he’s probably- Alright, I’ll ask him.”

Derek turns and moves his phone away from his ear.

“Would you like to come with us?”

He doesn’t seem to like asking, but the prospect of dinner with the two Hales? Stiles would be dumb to say no to that. He beams at Derek, whose eyebrows just reached their angriest frown yet.

 

Laura is as gorgeous as she was the last time Stiles saw her, maybe even more so when he isn’t trying to find any flaws as he doesn’t think she’s Derek’s girlfriend anymore. She pulls him in for a hug and kisses his cheek before turning to give a scowling Derek the same treatment. Derek has been grumpy ever since Stiles accepted the invitation and Stiles feels kind of bad for being there, as he obviously has ruined something. Maybe Derek wanted to be alone with his sister?

“How often do you two meet?” Stiles asks as they sit down at their table inside the restaurant. It’s a fancy restaurant, way fancier than the places Stiles usually visit, but he guesses he can always sell one of his kidneys if he needs more money at the end of the month.

“I’m borrowing Talia at least thrice a week,” Laura answers and eyes the wine list, “I want red wine. You drink wine, Stiles?”

“I drink anything with alcohol,” Stiles winks at her and she laughs. Stiles earns himself a scowl from his left where Derek is sitting and slightly from his right where an elderly couple is seated.

“I should’ve known,” Laura muses, “last time we met, you were barely standing.”

Stiles winces, why does people have to bring up his past mistakes?

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. I don’t usually drink that much.”

Derek raises his eyebrows in a clearly disbelieving way.

“Shut up,” Stiles tells him, “I don’t. Last night will never happen again. It was a mistake, okay?”

Laura chuckles and gives a low whistle.

“What happened last night? Something you wanna tell me, baby bro?” she winks at Derek just as he takes a sip from his beer and almost chokes.

Laura cackles evilly and thumps his back. Derek waves her away and she smirks smugly at Stiles. Stiles feels a bit smug himself as Derek had done the exact same thing to him earlier this day.

“Nothing happened,” Derek says when he can breathe normally again.

Laura purses her lips in a manner Stiles can’t interpret and turns to Stiles again, “you’re taking care of Pirate for me, aren’t you? Spoiling him?”

“Sure thing,” Stiles replies with a mocked salute and she beams.

“I like him,” she tells Derek, “can we keep him?”

Derek scowls at her, but Laura is seemingly immune to Derek’s scowls, she only laughs and ponders what to order.

Derek eases up some during the meal. Laura seems to bring him out of his grumpy shell more than anyone else and Stiles even gets to see one of Derek’s very rare smiles. Stiles doesn’t remember what they were talking about. Derek’s smile is like sunshine on a rainy day. His two front teeth are a bit bigger than what should be proportional, but they just tend to make him even more gorgeous.

After the dessert Stiles feels he could go home and never again get up from his bed, he is stuffed, but Laura wants to go out dancing.

“Need to burn of some the calories, Stilinski,” she tells him.

“You’re gorgeous anyway,” Stiles tells her and she pinches his cheek fondly and hooks her arm under his. They might have drunk too much wine, Stiles thinks.

“You’re too cute. How are you even real?”

“Come on,” Derek grumps and kind of forcefully shoves them out through the door. Good mood seems to be gone again.

They end up at one of the clubs with loud music and people dancing closely together. Laura drags Stiles out onto the dance floor and when Stiles motions for Derek, she just waves a ‘leave him be’. Derek seats himself at the bar and scowls out at the dance floor. Laura circles her arms around Stiles’ neck and he puts his hands on her waist, swaying to the music. Stiles doesn’t know how long they have been dancing but he’s sticky with sweat and his throat is dry when Laura grabs his hand to drag him over to the bar where Derek is still sitting, scowling at them.

“Don’t be such a sourpuss, Der-bear,” Laura giggles at him and Stiles is a bit worried Derek’s going to break his teeth because he’s grinding them together so hard.

“Let’s find a table,” Stiles says and hands Laura some bills for his drink, “surprise me.”

He grabs Derek’s hand and Derek reluctantly gets off the stool and follows him through the crowd. He sees an empty booth and pushes Derek down before taking a seat beside him, saving the seat across from him for Laura. Laura returns quickly and Stiles knew it was a good idea to let the woman in the group order, they always get the bartender’s attention quicker than men do. Well, unless they’re at Jungle, but they’re not right now. Laura carries a tray with a beer bottle and two tall glasses with red liquid, complete with umbrellas. She sets down the tray on the table and slips into the seat across from Stiles.

“Is the beer for me?” Stiles knows not to believe in stereotypes and such, but he can honestly not see Derek drinking a red drink through a straw. Not because it would seem gay, but more because it would seem too happy, and Derek is the kind of guy who nurtures his tortured soul or something. As predicted, Derek quickly grabs the beer and Stiles and Laura share a look before laughing.

“Strawberry,” Laura says and hands Stiles his glass. It tastes of artificial strawberry and alcohol. It’s quite good.

It’s quite hard to talk in the loud music, their replies are most often variations of ‘what?’ A large, blond man walks up to them and Stiles is quite surprised to see that his blue eyes are set on him.

“Wanna dance?” the man asks when he’s close enough. Stiles stares up at him. The man has muscles that are even more bulging than Derek’s. He’s probably on steroids, Stiles thinks. He glances to his side, Laura is looking encouragingly at him. Derek has his face to the side, Stiles can at most make out a clenching jaw that probably means Derek is grinding his teeth.

“No, thank you, I’ll have to decline,” Stiles turns back to the man who raises his eyebrow in understanding.

“Sorry,” he smiles, but looks a bit disappointed (which is great for Stiles’ ego), “didn’t know you were spoken for.”

The man disappears before Stiles has time to correct him. He doesn’t have time to say anything else before Derek pushes at his side.

“I’m leaving,” he states as Stiles raises himself from the seat to let Derek out.

“What? Why?” Stiles asks, throwing out his hands as if they somehow add to his confusion.

“Oh, Derek, come on,” Laura says and gets up too to grab his arm.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” Derek says to Stiles, ignoring Laura completely.

Stiles throws Laura a confused and hurt look and she motions at him to follow Derek, so he does. He comes up to Derek just inside the doors. The music is still audible, but they can at least talk here.

“Derek, what happened?” Stiles yells and grabs onto Derek’s firm forearm. Derek yanks, as if trying to get away, but Stiles holds onto him. Derek huffs in annoyance. He turns to glare at Stiles, as if willing him to let go. Stiles doesn’t.

“Use your words, Derek.”

Derek glares some more before sighing and relaxing his stance. Stiles relaxes his death grip on his arm but doesn’t let go completely.

“I’m not ready for you to date my sister,” Derek grits out after a few moments of silent glaring, as if it is physically painful for him to speak.

Stiles drops his hand completely and stares at Derek, his brows furrowing.

“I… what?”

“I don’t want you to date Laura,” Derek repeats, pale eyes glaring a hole in the carpet.

Stiles laughs at him. Derek keeps glaring and Stiles stops laughing when he realizes that Derek isn’t joking.

“You’re serious. Dude, I don’t wanna date Laura.”

Derek moves his frown from the floor to Stiles, but it looks slightly more confused.

“Man, you thought I wanted to bang your sister? No wonder you were pissed. No, absolutely no,” Stiles says and holds up his hands in a placating manner, . “She’s amazing and all, but one, she’s totally out of my league, and two, I’m gay.”

Derek doesn’t look angry anymore, just confused, which is a kind of adorable look on him. His shoulders have dropped a bit though so Stiles count that as a win.

“Well, technically I guess I’m bisexual,” Stiles tells him, “like maybe eighty, twenty? I mean, I did spend ten years of my life being in love with Lydia, but other than that it’s been mostly guys, you know,” Stiles trails off and looks up at Derek. Derek is frowning again, but not as deep as earlier.

“You’re gay?” he asks, as if Stiles’ story didn’t quite stick.

“Well, yeah – duh.”

Stiles isn’t used to coming out, he mostly just babbles and says things like “I totally wanna do that dude” when he’s had too much to drink. His dad is probably the one who got the worst outing of everyone Stiles knows (and possibly of every parent ever) when he walked in on Stiles and his boyfriend Dean in Stiles’ senior year of high school trying to be non-virgins anymore. (The sex was disastrous, and Stiles was honestly quite glad for the interruption, not that ever told his father or Dean this.)

Derek doesn’t say anything and Stiles shuffles his feet.

“Is that okay with you?” he feels the need to ask.

Derek looks confused again.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

Stiles lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and grins.

“Glad we got that out. Wanna dance now?”

“No, Stiles, I don’t want to dance,” Derek deadpans, but he at least lets Stiles drag him back into the club by his hand.

When they get back to the table they find it empty. Stiles looks around only to see Laura out dancing again, this time with a group of women. Stiles tries to engage Derek in a conversation, but the loud music makes it impossible so when Laura suggests that they should head home, both Stiles and Derek agree.

“Hey, Stiles,” Laura says just as Stiles is on his way to get out of the cab they shared, “I’m babysitting Talia tomorrow, want to hang out? You and Pirate, I mean?”

Stiles sends a quick glance at Derek, but he doesn’t seem to disagree with the idea so Stiles nods, “sure, ask Derek for my number and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Will do,” Laura salutes and Stiles waves at them before shutting the door to the cab.

 

Stiles meets Laura by the preserve just outside town the following afternoon. Stiles and Derek take a walk there at least once a week so Pirate is not new to the territory. Laura tells Stiles that Derek is hanging out with Isaac and Boyd, apparently there was some game this afternoon. Stiles would have been jealous if it wasn’t for the fact that both Isaac and Boyd are as straight as pins and are probably just talking about cars and sports with Derek. The only sport Stiles likes to talk about is lacrosse and Derek had given him a blank stare when Stiles first mentioned the sport. They keep the conversations away from sports after that.

 “How come you don’t have you own dog?” Stiles asks as he throws a stick for Pirate to fetch and watches as Pirate’s upturned tail disappears after the stick on the side of the track.

They don’t have the leashes on any of the dogs. There are seldom other people in the woods and Stiles has grown a bit more secure in trusting Pirate. Nine times out of ten, Pirate comes when Stiles calls for him and Talia comes whenever Derek or Laura call and most of the times when Stiles calls. And if Talia comes back, so will Pirate. Pirate adores Talia and whenever they’re together he sticks close to her unless she tells him off – it happens rarely but it has happened.

Stiles likes the preserve; it’s quiet save from the wind that rustles the leaves, the birds chirping and their muffled footsteps. Laura’s pace is slower than Derek’s and Stiles isn’t complaining. Even though he and Derek are almost the same height, Derek’s strides are twice the length of Stiles’.

“I had a brother to Talia,” Laura says, ”he died a year ago. Cancer.”

The ache in Stiles’ chest at the last word is familiar but no less unpleasant.

“Cancer sucks.” He doesn’t really know what to say and that’s what he feels anyway.

“Tell me ‘bout it,” Laura says and seems to understand Stiles’ reluctance on this matter. “His name was Bubbles.”

Stiles gapes at her before laughing out loud.

“Bubbles?!” he repeats, “seriously?”

“Yes,” Laura laughs, “seriously.”

“And he was from the same family as Talia?” Stiles asks, not really grasping the fact that Talia apparently had a brother called Bubbles. “Talia is such a beautiful name… I mean, don’t get me wrong- Bubbles is a lovely name, too- it’s just- I’m- uh-”

Stiles flails with his arms, not even sure himself what he’s trying to say except that Bubbles is a worse name than Frances.

Laura laughs at him and Stiles takes comfort in the fact that she doesn’t seem to get mad or sad because of his words.

“I wanted something happy, you know, next to Talia…”

Laura trails off and Stiles knows there’s more to this story but he’s not sure if Laura’s going to tell him, they don’t really know each other that well.

“Talia was our mother’s name,” Laura says quietly and no one names their dog after their mother if she’s still alive, right? Even though Stiles had guessed that neither of Derek’s parents was alive it makes him sad to realize he was right – he didn’t want to be.

“Derek never told me,” he says and Laura half-shrugs, a gesture Stiles has seen many times on Derek.

“I think he should be the one to tell you,” Laura says and Stiles doesn’t really know how to react to this. “You’re _his_ friend first and foremost.”

Stiles can’t help the flutter in his chest at those words, even though he would prefer if it was Derek that acknowledged the fact that he and Stiles are friends.

“So if Derek and I- uh- fall out…?”

“Then you and I will meet behind his back,” Laura says and winks at him.

Stiles laughs.

“I’ll hold you to that when he runs me over with his car. His police car, that is. The Camaro’s too pretty for such things. Think of the blood on the fellies.”

Stiles shudders and Laura giggles as she hooks her arm under Stiles’.

“He won’t,” she says and Stiles really hopes she’s not wrong, “I’ll kick his ass if he does. Don’t give me that look; I can totally kick his ass.”

“Your brother is like built out of muscles,” Stiles tells her, “there’s no way you could beat him.”

“Oh, please, I have my ways” Laura scoffs and pinches Stiles’ nipple hard, making him screech in a totally manly fashion.

Laura laughs as Pirate comes jumping out from the undergrowth. The dog looks prepared to fight for Stiles’ honor, making Stiles’ insides all warm and fuzzy. When he doesn’t see any danger his tail begins to wag and he comes up to them and licks Stiles’ outstretched palm.

“He’s just so cute,” Laura says and pats Pirate’s head. “Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll only hurt your master if he misbehaves.”

“Hey!” Stiles protests, hands raised, “I only expressed my doubt that you would be able to kick Derek’s ass, and you obviously can.”

“Damn right I can,” Laura says and puffs out her chest, making Stiles laugh at her. “And you know,” she continues in a normal tone, “if you’re the one hurting him, I’ll kick your ass.”

“I- What?” Stiles asks, he’s not quite sure he’s following Laura right now. It sounds as if Stiles and Derek have something going on, but they don’t. Well, Stiles has something going on for Derek but for Stiles to hurt Derek, he assumes Derek has to be in on it too. Besides, Laura has no idea what Stiles may or may not feel for her brother.

“Please, Stilinski,” she says, “I know you wanna do my brother. You’re not exactly subtle in your drooling.”

“I…” Stiles tries and wonders if the ground could just swallow him – they’re in the woods, there should be holes in the ground, right?

“I get it,” Laura says, “he has had his fair share of admires so I guess he has something that appeal others. But don’t you dare play with him.”

Stiles flails, almost falling but Laura’s hand on his arm stops him from face-planting the dirt.

“I don’t intend to,” he says weakly at last and Laura looks content with this.

“I know,” she says, “but I had to warn ya, didn’t I?”

She hooks her arm under his and Stiles stumbles along on the path. He can’t say he has no idea what just happened, he does, but it makes him severely confused so he tries not to dwell too much on it.

“Oh, look, wolfsbane!” Laura says suddenly and points to a purple flower, she seems to have forgotten about threatening Stiles and Stiles’ feelings for her brother and Stiles is quite happy to keep her mind from that particular field. He tries very, _very_ hard to forget it all, himself.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my beta.
> 
> You can also find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/).
> 
> In this chapter we'll get to learn a few things about Derek's past and what Kate Argent has to do with it (it's nothing good, I'll tell you that). There's also some manpain, but nothing too serious because this isn't an angsty story, okay?

* * *

 

It’s Monday morning and Stiles is running late. He left his phone in the kitchen and hadn’t heard the alarm signal. Pirate had been the one waking him up forty minutes later. He already texted Derek, saying he won’t have time to get him coffee and wonders how he’ll survive through the morning meeting with only the bad office coffee. Derek is waiting outside the station, leaning against the railing with the stone steps up to the entrance doors behind him. His arms are crossed, making his biceps bulge attractively. He looks like someone from a cop porno and Stiles probably shouldn’t think that way about his colleague slash friend. Talia is sitting next to Derek, her ear peaks up as Stiles’ Jeep rolls into the lot. Pirate is first to greet them, jumping at Derek and play-growling at Talia who barely spares him a glance.

“Coffee?” Derek asks and produces a paper cup from the stone steps behind him.

“Oh, I love you, man. You’re my hero.” Stiles inhales the scent deeply before taking a long draught. It’s a vanilla latte today.

He follows Derek up the steps and into the station. Almost everyone is already there, some are already seated in the conference room, some are still at their desks. The Sheriff is absent so there’s still time.

Danny and Isaac are behind Danny’s desk looking at something at the screen.

“Check this out,” Danny says, “crazy chick on the loose. It’s a national warning, imagine that.”

Stiles and Derek walk around the desk and Stiles leans over Danny’s shoulder to read. There is a picture of a dark blonde woman. Stiles notices Derek stiffen and turns to him.

“Derek, what-?”

“I’m not feeling well, I’m going home,” is all he says before he’s leaving again, Talia trotting beside him as always.

“The fuck?” Isaac stares between Derek’s retreating back and Stiles. Stiles leaves his cup on Danny’s desk and hurries after Derek.

“Derek, is there-?”

“Leave me alone, Stiles!”

Derek’s tone is harsh, harsher than Stiles has ever heard Derek’s voice be and it hurts to have that tone directed at him. He walks back to Danny and Isaac, Isaac hugs him with one arm.

“Don’t mind him,” he says and Stiles really wishes it was that easy.

“Guys…” Danny says and there’s an uncertainty in his voice, “listen, this woman, Kate Argent – think she’s a relative of Allison’s?” Stiles shrugs and makes a mental note to ask Allison about this as Danny continues, “she was convicted for the murders of Benjamin and Talia Hale and their niece Carolyn Hale.”

Stiles’ feels as if he can’t really breathe, he knows without doubt that these are Derek’s parents. Talia is not a very common name.

“Apparently she had been dating the son – Derek? – and when he broke up with her she set the house on fire…”

They all stare at the screen, at the picture of a woman who looks quite ordinary but apparently she is the murderer of Derek’s parents and cousin.

“That’s so fucked up,” Isaac is the first to break the silence.

Stiles doesn’t know what to say to this, he can only agree. The door to the office opens and the Sheriff walks in.

“Morning,” he greets and frowns at their faces.

“Dad.”

Stiles motions for his dad to come closer and gestures at the screen.

“Shit,” his dad swears as he sees the headline and the picture. Dad never swears; a habit from when Stiles was young to not let his son learn to swear. He failed at that but old habits die hard.

“Does Derek…?” he asks and Stiles nods.

“He came here at the same time as me and then left, calling in sick,” he says and dad nods.

“I’m going to go call him. Try to keep this quiet, for Derek’s sake,” The three younger deputies nod. “And Danny, keep an eye on this one, please.”

His dad mentions Kate at the morning meeting; he always mentions if there is a new person wanted, but he doesn’t say that this particular case has any connection to them. Just asks them to keep their eyes opened. Isaac, Stiles and Danny share a look and Stiles leans closer to Isaac.

“Think she’s going to come _here_?” he whispers and Isaac shrugs.

“She set a _house_ on fire, I have no idea.”

Dad gives them a glare to keep them quiet but doesn’t say anything and Stiles guesses he knows their worry.

After the meeting dad keeps Stiles there with the pretense of talking about Pirate’s training but when the door closes he falls silent.

“Derek said he’s fine.” Dad doesn’t look as if he’s really trusting Derek’s word. Stiles doesn’t either. “Maybe you should visit him later? Make sure he’s okay?”

Stiles nods, he has been thinking of nothing but Derek all meeting and would probably go see Derek even if his father hadn’t asked him to. When he leaves the conference room he sends Derek a text.

_I’ll come by after work if that’s ok._

Derek doesn’t answer and Stiles takes that as a sign of acceptance. Pirate notices that Stiles’ mind is someplace else and seems more eager than usual to do what Stiles asks of him when they’re training. If Stiles wasn’t so preoccupied, he would be proud of his dog.

 

He sends Derek a text that he is outside Derek’s apartment in ten minutes as he leaves the office and takes the detour to the coffee shop to buy a caramel latte for himself and a hot chocolate for Derek. Derek and Talia stand outside the apartment when Stiles arrives. He’s out of his uniform and wears a pair of jeans, a black tee and his usual leather jacket. Stiles waves and offers a small smile. Derek lets Talia in to the back where she lies down beside Pirate who presses himself at the bars Stiles has set up behind the seats to keep the dogs safe, as Derek climbs into the car.

“Hey, buddy,” Derek says and extends his hand to Pirate to lick.

Pirate seems happy after a few licks and moves over to sit in his usual spot right behind Stiles and pant into Stiles’ neck instead. Stiles motions for the cup with the chocolate for Derek who nods a quiet thanks as he sniffs at the cup before taking a draught. He smiles at the taste when realizing it’s not his usual black coffee. Stiles guesses the change wasn’t bad.

Stiles has been thinking of it all day and he still doesn’t know how to cheer Derek up. It had been easier talking about death with Laura, he hadn’t been afraid of making an ass out of himself that time and he really wants Derek to feel better.

“Have you told Laura?” he asks after a few minutes of silence and Derek grunts in the way Stiles knows is an affirmative – any other time he would be delighted that he can distinguish Derek’s different grunts, but now he hardly even thinks about it.

He takes them to the graveyard, stopping the car outside and Derek looks at him, surprised and a little puzzled.

“My mom is in there.” He sees the realization and sadness in Derek’s eyes before Derek looks away. “Cancer,” Stiles says as a way of explanation, “I know it’s not the same, not really. But I hate cancer. If cancer was a person I’d want that person dead. Hell, _I’d_ kill that person.”

Derek nods slowly but doesn’t say anything and Stiles doesn’t know if he’s making an ass out of himself.

“Man, I don’t know what to say,” Stiles says and flails a bit with his hands as a way of explaining and maybe it does, he has no idea. “I hate when people say their sorry about mom; it’s not their fault, you know.”

Derek nods again and Stiles is happy he hasn’t left the car yet.

“I just… I want you to know. Now that I know about your…” Stiles winces and looks at Derek who’s still looking out of the window, at the cemetery and the silent graves.

“You want to meet her?” he asks and Derek nods and they get out of the car.

It feels awkward presenting Derek to a silent grave with just a name. It’s not like Stiles believes his mother is really in the grave. He believes she’s in heaven or in the air surrounding him. Not that he’d admit that, but it makes him feel a bit better.

“Hi mom, this is Derek. You probably already know of him, huh?” Stiles waves his arms awkwardly. “Maybe you know his parents? Maybe you have coffee with them all the time? Not too late at night though, you know you can’t sleep when drinking caffeine after eight.”

Derek snorts and Stiles glances to his right at Derek who rolls his eyes and Stiles smiles a bit at him, but it feels a bit strained. His throat hurt with the tears he always try – and always fail – to keep in when visiting his mother.

“Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Miss you.”

He chokes a bit and suddenly there’s a warm body against his side, just barely pressing against him and Stiles wipes at his cheeks.

“Love you, mom,” he bends down to pat the grave.

They walk back to the jeep in silence and Stiles tries vainly to stop himself from crying like a baby.

“It’s okay, you know,” Derek says after they have been driving in silence – save from Stiles’ sniffling – for a few minutes, “to cry I mean.”

Stiles tries to glare at him but he guesses Derek isn’t that intimidated by his red eyes and nose.

“I’m allergic,” Stiles tries and Derek snorts and shakes his head. “It was over ten years since she died, I shouldn’t- it shouldn’t-”

“Pull over.” Derek’s voice is soft and Stiles guesses that’s a good plan as he can hardly see the road through his tears.

He stops the car outside a gas station and leans against the steering wheel, trying to not cry his eyes out. The soft hand on his shoulder makes him sob even more and then he is guided towards a warm, hard but yet soft body and he’s crying and snuffling against Derek’s shirt and Derek holds him and it’s not as awkward as Stiles imagined it to be.

Derek looks at him when he finally gathers himself enough to lean away. He looks almost fond, but that’s probably Stiles’ brain imagining things.

“Sorry,” Stiles says but Derek shakes his head. “This was supposed to be about you, not- uh… Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m gonna buy you an ice cream,” he motions for the sign in one of the windows at the gas station, “and you can’t cry if I buy you ice cream, right?”

Stiles sniffles pathetically and chuckles. Derek’s hand is against his cheek for just a heartbeat and then Derek’s out of the car.

“Making a fool out of myself, aren’t I?” he asks Pirate and Talia.

Talia gives him a disinterested look but Pirate licks his cheek as Stiles leans his face against the bars. Derek’s soon back with two cones with ice cream and Stiles almost declares his undying love for the dude.

They eat the ice-cream in the car and then Stiles takes them to the preserve, he figures the dogs have been sitting around too much today and he himself could need a bit of fresh air, too.

Walking beside Derek in the woods with Pirate and Talia trotting around them, sometimes on the trail, sometimes into the woods, is familiar enough and he feels loads of better.

“I read this article once,” he tells Derek, “about a family where the oldest son had cancer. He was twelve or something, I think. He had a younger brother who had been a twin but the other twin had died from some disease after just a few months of living. This boy was like, really nice, and he drew pictures of himself and the dead twin in heaven – he knew what his brother would look like as they had been identical twins. He knew he was gonna die, you know, and was okay with that.

“After he died his parents said that two of their kids dying ‘cause they could handle it. They had survived it once and survived it once again.”

Stiles falls silent and thinks of the two brothers in heaven; maybe they had met his mom?

“I like to think like that, too,” he whispers, “with mom, I mean. We survived, me and dad. I mean, had it happened to Scott, he… he only has his mother and had she died when _he_ was sixteen. He wouldn’t make it, I think.”

Derek nods slowly and Stiles doesn’t know what to say.

“I still have my dad,” Stiles says and then winces because Derek doesn’t.

“I still have Laura,” he says and bumps his shoulder to Stiles’, as if understanding what Stiles is thinking about. Stiles smiles slightly and trips on a root when Derek smiles back. Derek’s hand shoots out to keep him upright and Stiles laughs awkwardly and walks into a bush instead.

“My parents didn’t like me dating Kate,” Derek says and Stiles doesn’t dare say anything, afraid to break the moment. “I was sixteen and she was nineteen and I thought it was about the age difference. I guess they just saw through her. She was… she was different. She seemed so… liberal, I guess. She didn’t care about authorities and such things and she seemed so cool. We got into a fight over my parents, she wanted us to run away together but I refused. I broke it off when she started to threaten them.”

Derek takes a deep breath, as if to steady himself before he continues, “I was at a party that night. I had just broken up with Kate. I was sad and drunk and my friend Jake… he… he called Laura to come and get me – he knew I wouldn’t want my parents to see me drunk. He’s… he’s the reason Laura wasn’t in the house.

“Kate didn’t know I had told anyone about us breaking up. I guess she thought I would keep quiet about it. And I would have if I hadn’t been drinking. She was planning to take care of me and _comfort me_ when my family was gone. When the police tied her to the crime she said I had asked her to do it, but Jake told them about that night, what I had said and no one believed Kate.”

They walk in silence and Stiles doesn’t know what to say, trying to understand the story of a sixteen year old Derek who’d been in love with a woman who burned his family alive. Derek turns his head away and Stiles hears the sound of sniffling even though the other man has turned away.

“Hey,” he says and stops Derek with a hand on his arm.

Derek turns so they’re standing face to face, but he doesn’t meet Stiles’ eyes instead he’s keeping his head down. Stiles doesn’t know if he’s allowed to touch, he knows what he would do had this been Scott. But this isn’t Scott, this is Derek whom Stiles might be a bit in love with and that makes this comforting process much more difficult. At last Stiles says _screw it_ to the part of him who’s afraid to fuck things up and pulls Derek in for a hug, as he would do if this had been Scott. Derek seems to just melt into him and Stiles hugs him closer, letting Derek lean against him. Derek’s breath is warm against his neck and every now and then a sob escapes the other man. Stiles just holds him, pets his hair and tries to be as comforting as he can through his action.

Derek is the first to pull back and he doesn’t meet Stiles’ eyes, but he seems more relaxed. Stiles lets his thumbs brush against Derek’s cheekbones before letting his hands fall to his side.

“You good?” he asks and Derek nods.

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m good,” Stiles smiles softly at him and on a whim lets his thumb brush against Derek’s chin before he resumes walking, calling for Pirate and ignores the fast beating of his chest.

Derek walks up beside him and his hand brushes against Stiles’ and Stiles has no idea if it was intentional or not. They walk mostly in silence after that.

“Want me to drop you off at your place or come back to mine?” he asks when they’re back in the car. “We can order pizza… Or thai, if you don’t like pizza. Or indian. Or…”

“Pizza’s fine,” Derek says and Stiles grins.

They eat the pizza in front of the TV, watching the Avengers and discuss who the most awesome avenger is. Derek takes both Talia and Pirate for a walk after they’ve stuffed themselves full while Stiles does the dishes. Stiles thinks maybe Derek will ask for a ride home when he gets back, but he just plops down on the couch, Talia on the floor under his outstretched legs and Pirate beside him and Stiles tries to not think how domestic it all seems. He pops popcorn, plop in the first X-men movie and Stiles isn’t really surprised when he finds out Wolverine is Derek’s favorite.

“I like Xavier,” Stiles says and Derek snorts, as if he isn’t surprised by Stiles’ choice either. “Wolverine’s got a nice piece of ass, though.”

Derek almost chokes on his popcorn, his eyes wide and face red, and Stiles giggles shamelessly into his coke.

 

The clock is almost eleven thirty when the end credits roll. Stiles is half-lying against one of Derek’s sides – Derek hasn’t told him to move so Stiles won’t – and Pirate is lying by Derek’s other side and Derek doesn’t really seem to mind to be squashed in the middle.

“You want me to take you home or stay here? You can sleep on the couch or with me, I don’t care which. I usually sleep with my friends when they stay over.”

There’s a sudden stiffness in Derek’s body and Stiles reruns what he said in his head and balks.

“I didn’t mean like that!” he almost screams. “Just… In the same bed. No sex. I’m not having sex with my friends, no sir! Especially not Scott. God, imagine… NO! Don’t imagine!”

Derek laughs – he actually laughs! – at Stiles and pats his arm, as if to calm him and maybe it does.

“I know what you mean, Stiles, relax,” he says, “I don’t mind sharing bed.”

“Good,” Stiles says and then he almost chokes on his own saliva ‘cause _he’s going to sleep in the same bed as Derek freaking Hale!_

He finds a tee and a pair of pajama pants because there’s no way he’s sleeping in just his boxer briefs or nude like he usually does (not sleeping in the nude with someone he hasn’t had sex with, though. Not even Scott). Derek, though, seems to have no problems showing off his extremely, ridiculously, well-shaped body. Stiles thinks he might have a nosebleed at the sight of Derek’s abs and pectorals, and he swallows when Derek turns his (ridiculously well-muscled) back against him to fold his clothes on a chair. There’s a tattoo on his back, right between his shoulder blades and _god_ , does Stiles want to runs his hands (and possible mouth) (yes, definitely mouth) over that back. And the abs. And thighs and… Stiles quickly gets into bed, turning his back to Derek and hiding his erection by the covers. And he’s going to have a heart-attack because Derek’s lying down on the other side of the bed.

Stiles has king-sized bed (it was on sale, okay?) and he has slept comfortably in it with both two and three other people at the same time before – not in any kind of sexual, Scott was there both of the times and Stiles would rather chop of his dick than be in any kind of sexual situation with Scott. He loves the dude, but _no_. Maybe it was _because_ Scott was there the previous times that it wasn’t weird. This time definitely feels weird; Stiles is lying so close to the edge he might fall of if someone pokes him in the back, but he doesn’t dare move closer to the middle _and Derek_ , even though there’s almost three feet between them.

Stiles would very much prefer if Pirate would like to lie between them. _Just be a good dog for once and do what your master asks_ , Stiles begs silently, but Pirate usually lies closest to the edge and of course he’s going to do that now too. Stiles huffs and moves so that Pirate can lie next to him. Derek chuckles and then there’s a whine from his side of the bed and apparently Talia doesn’t want to sleep in between humans either and Stiles ends up almost pressed to Derek’s side, just a few inches between his arm and Derek’s ( _oh, dear god, those biceps!_ ) when Talia happily lies down by the other edge.

“Fucking dogs,” Stiles mutters and Derek snorts. “You did a terrible job raising them.”

Derek flicks his finger against Stiles’ arm and Stiles huffs again and turns his back to Derek, spooning Pirate even though he honestly would rather spoon Derek. Or get spooned by Derek, he doesn’t care which, really. Thinking of dying puppies, he tries to get some sleep.

 

Stiles wakes up a few hours later, feeling very cold. He doesn’t have any covers over him, but there’s a warm body pressed against his back and he moves a bit closer to the warmth, thinking it’s Pirate, but Pirate’s lying in front of Stiles, on all of Stiles’ cover. Realization dawns on Stiles when he remembers the evening and Derek. Derek who is right now spooning Stiles quite actively. Actively as in having his arm around Stiles’ waist, keeping Stiles from going anywhere. Stiles tries to move away, not that he wants to but he thinks he should.

“Go back to sleep,” Derek mutters into his neck and Stiles squirms at the hot breath against his skin. Derek probably has no idea he’s spooning Stiles, he wouldn’t keep his arm around his waist if he did, right?

“’m cold,” Stiles half-chokes.

He rises against his elbows, looking over Derek to see Talia taking up almost half of the bed, but Derek has all of the other cover over him. Derek groans and moves his arm from Stiles’ waist and away a bit, Stiles shudders both from the cold and missing the touch. Derek lifts the covers and Stiles stares. Does Derek really want him to get in under the same cover? Isn’t that like non-heterosexual behavior? Stiles and Scott has slept under the same cover but they’re _Stiles and Scott_ and their friendship isn’t exactly normal by any standards.

“Get in, Stiles,” he says and okay, Derek at least knows who he’s sharing a bed with.

Stiles scrambles in under the warmth of the cover and Derek tucks himself in against Stiles’ back again and Stiles can’t really say he’s that cold anymore.

“Now sleep,” Derek grumbles and Stiles shivers at the feel of his stubble against the back of his neck and tries desperately to not think of that stubble against other parts of his body. Awkwardness aside, he could totally get used to this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story about the boy who was dying (from cancer) is a true story that I read about in some newspaper a few years ago. I cried like a baby when I read the story.
> 
> We're halfway to the end now. Just so you know.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this one taking a bit longer than I originally had planned. Most of it has been written and edited in the last week and then my lovely beta [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) said she wanted something to happen and I, of course, needed to obey so then I had to add even more. This chapter might be one of the longest yet (I think), that's gotta count for something, right?
> 
> So, warnings for this chapter: There is some self-love (aka jerking off), but I don't think it's particularly vividly desribed so the rating won't go up (yet). There's also some non-con later on, but it's nothing a girl who's been to a bar/club hasn't experienced, so... (and yes, I realize how completely fucked up that is, but it's nothing but the truth.)

The alarm clock goes off the normal time, only Stiles isn’t the one to turn it off. Derek almost lies on top of Stiles’ back and reaches over both Stiles and Pirate to turn it off. When it’s silent once more, Derek lies back down, his face in Stiles’ neck and Stiles is really too tired to care too much. One of Derek’s legs is in between Stiles’ and Stiles’ ass is comfortably against Derek’s hip and Stiles doesn’t want to move ever again.

“Get up,” Stiles says but makes no motion to try to move out from half under Derek.

“You get up,” Derek counters.

There’s a whimper and then the covers are pulled off them. Stiles whines and moves closer to the warmth of Derek. There’s another whimper and Stiles opens his eyes halfway to meet Talia’s amber eyes from across Pirate’s body. She has the cover in her mouth and her head leaned slightly to the side. She’s adorable and Stiles would love to take a picture of her but he’s too tired.

“Your dog wants you to get up,” Stiles says and elbows Derek in the ribs (abs, his brain helpfully supplies).

“You get up.”

Derek moves slightly and Stiles isn’t sure he imagined the slight poke of something hard against his ass, it’s gone so quickly, but even if it was his imagination his body really liked it and he really shouldn’t have a full-blown erection in bed with his friend. He grumbles and gets up from under Derek and hurries into the bathroom. He looks at himself in the mirror and sees that his face is beet-red. He presses the heel of his hand against his erection, as if he really thinks it will go away. He sighs and gets in the shower. He knows the only thing that will make his erection go away is an orgasm, he only hopes that his moans are drown out by the sound of the running water. Stiles knows he’s not quiet, he’s never managed that, to his college boyfriend’s amusement and Scott’s horror. Scott tried to appear sad when Stiles broke it off with Jeremy, but he looked so relieved, and guilty for being relieved, that Stiles couldn’t even be that sad over the break up.

Stiles barely touches his dick before he’s coming, thinking of Derek’s stubble against his neck and that suspiciously hard thing against his ass earlier.

He tries to not look too guilty as he steps out of the shower; he thinks of saying something like “I always moan in the shower, I was not jerking off”, but figures that’ll be very suspicious and Derek would probably see right through him. Derek barely glances at him as he emerges and Stiles turns to his wardrobe to get his uniform out. Stiles leaves a pair of boxer briefs (even though they’ll probably be a bit too tight) and socks on his bed for Derek and is followed by the two dogs to the kitchen where he makes two sandwiches for him and Derek. The dogs gulp down their food and Stiles takes them for a quick walk around the block. He tries not thinking how very good it feels to walk their dogs and that Derek’s in his shower after they spent the night together.

When they get back Derek’s in his clothes from yesterday, Stiles knows he has a spare uniform at work; they all have in case anything should happen to the ones they’re dressed in. The thing that usually happens is someone spilling food on their uniform but Stiles likes to think it’s for emergencies such as getting blood all over the clothes.

Stiles stops at the coffee shop, as always, and before he even have time to think of getting out of the car, Derek stops him and goes out to buy their coffee.

“Is this weird?” Stiles asks the dogs behind him and watch them in the rearview mirror.

Talia gives him the same blank stare as always and Pirate pants into his neck with his tongue hanging out on the side of his mouth. He looks ridiculously happy all the time.

“It feels as if it should be feeling weird,” Stiles continues as neither of the dogs seems to care what he’s saying, “but it doesn’t. It feels nice.”

Derek comes back carrying two cups and Stiles grins at him. Yeah, he totally loves this man.

When he let Derek stay the night he didn’t anticipate people noticing him and Derek arriving together. Thanks to Greenberg the whole office probably knows that Stiles may have inappropriate feelings for Derek. Stiles and Derek arriving together will give people the wrong idea – well, technically the right idea, they did sleep together, just not really as close as Stiles would have liked. Stiles only hopes no one will say anything about it, it will probably get very awkward if Derek hears anyone say something.

Danny is the only one in yet and Stiles is quite impressed with himself; he would never have thought that sharing bed with someone would make him get in _earlier_. Danny smiles at them and raises an eyebrow at Stiles who, of course, blushes and flails his arms at Danny to keep quiet. Danny is a saint though so he doesn’t say anything as Stiles shuffles through some papers and Derek goes to change into his uniform. Isaac, when he arrives, is _not_ a saint though.

“Hey, Derek!” he says, surprised as he and Greenberg comes in at the same time as Derek comes back from changing. “Didn’t see your car out there, thought you were still… uh… ill.”

Stiles blushes even more and pretends that his computer isn’t working so he has to fix it and as the computer is on the floor Stiles has to crouch down to make it fake-work.

He is not hiding under the desk.

“I stayed at Stiles’,” Derek says easily, as if this isn’t a big deal and maybe it isn’t for anyone but Stiles. And Greenberg, apparently, he whistles and laughs, “Was he any good?”

Stiles hits his head against the underside of his desk hard as his head snaps up at the sound of the leer in Greenberg’s voice.

There’s silence and when he dares to look up over his desk everybody in the room is looking at him.

“My computer wasn’t working,” Stiles explains and waves his hand in the direction of the computer before pressing the button to start the computer. “Ah! Fixed it.”

They keep staring at him and Stiles grins and scratches the back of his head awkwardly, not really knowing what they expect of him.

“Leave him alone, Greenberg,” Danny says eventually and Stiles sends him a thankful look.

Derek looks quite confused and Stiles suspects he has no idea what this has all been about. Stiles is not going to tell him.

John comes in together with Erica and smiles at Derek and claps his shoulder.

“Good to see you, Derek.”

Stiles doesn’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing that his dad likes Derek that much. He wonders if his father’s opinion would change if he knew what his son came to the thought of his employee this very morning. Not appropriate thoughts at work, Stiles tells himself. He’s very glad that the sheriff has zero ambition to keep up with the gossip at the station and hence has no idea that Stiles has the hots for Derek.

Stiles’ phone buzzes in his pocket and he is thankful for the distraction.

_Why does Isaac tell me u slept with Derek? I thought we were friends :(_

Stiles sighs and wonders how he should explain the situation to Scott. He knows what look Scott is wearing right now, he looks like a kicked puppy whose ice cream has been stolen, and Stiles knows that if there’s a woman at the clinic she’ll adopt Scott if she sees him. Scott is happy with Allison and Stiles should keep his friend from being adopted by a crazy cat lady.

_We didn’t sleep together. He just stayed the night. Nothing happened. Ur my bro, u know that._

Scott’s reply is quick so Stiles guesses he doesn’t have any patients yet.

_He slept on the couch? I <3 u bro_

Stiles ponders the question before lying to Scott, he doesn’t need to know everything.

 

Stiles has completely forgotten that Allison is going to come with her class of eight year olds to look at the new police dogs, but his dad kindly reminds him just one day ahead by asking if they had anything planned.

“Uh,” is Stiles answer and Derek proves to be just as helpful as Pirate and Talia in answering the question.

John sighs and crosses his arms, he looks very unimpressed and Stiles winces slightly.

“I get that Derek has had a lot on his mind these past few days, but what’s your excuse, Stiles?”

“Stress can cause a person’s memory to fail…”

John sighs heavily as if he’s a bit disappointed that’s the best his son can come up with.

“You’re not stressed, Stiles.”

Stiles tries to come up with something to say, but John puts up a hand to stop him.

“Just come up with something to show the kids. You can have Isaac as a chew toy.”

“Hey!” Isaac calls from outside the office door.

“Lahey, ever heard of something called privacy?” John shoots back and Stiles turns to grin smugly at Isaac who flips him off. John looks like he’s wondering why he has hired such inadequate deputies and Stiles feels a bit bad for behaving like a kid.

“We’ll figure something out,” he tells his dad. “Come on.”

Derek, Talia and Pirate all trail after him out to the training grounds. They sit down on the bench outside, watching Pirate run away to do whatever he does when Stiles lets him run free. Stiles will never fully understand that dog. Talia sits down next to Derek beside the bench and she watches Pirate with the same unimpressed stare Derek sometimes gives Stiles. Stiles refrains from commenting on it.

 

The next day Stiles finds himself standing out on the training grounds dressed in his newly washed and ironed deputy uniform (the one without a coffee stain that won’t come off). He’s wearing a new, green baseball cap with their logo on as John had taken one look at his old cap and told him never to wear it in public. Apparently it was too worn out. Stiles might also have let Pirate chew on it one time.

Pirate has been showered and is sitting proudly beside Stiles in his vest with the police logo on both sides. His ears are perked and he’s watching the kids Allison is ushering out through the door with great interest. Allison orders the kids to sit and they quickly do as she asks, all their huge eyes fixed on Stiles and Pirate.

“Hi, kids,” Stiles greets. He wants to wave at them, but keeps his hands firmly behind his back. He feels kind of like he’s back at the academy with his stance. Except he never was the one who held everyone’s awed attention. Except for that time his mouth opened before he had time to think and questioned their superordinate. Stiles learned to never do that ever again.

“I’m Stiles Stilinski and this is my partner, Pirate. He’s a Rottweiler and he’s a year old.”

Some of the kids look a bit frightened and Stiles doesn’t know if it’s because of the Rottweilers’ reputation of being bad dogs or if it’s just because Pirate’s a big dog.

“Pirate likes to play and learn new things. He also likes to take all the bed covers and he drools a lot.”

Some of the kids giggle and Allison gives Stiles an encouraging smile. Stiles keeps telling them a bit about police work with dogs and dogs in general. He tries to keep it as short as possible as he knows the attention span of eight year olds might not be the best.

“I’m going to ask one of you to hold this,” Stiles holds up a small ball, which he and Derek have had some time to practice with, “and then my colleague Derek and his dog Talia are coming out here and she’s going to try to find it. You all have to stand up.”

The kids stand up, some looking eager and some a bit frightened.

“Talia will be sniffing all of you, but she won’t hurt you. Is there anyone of you who are afraid of dogs?”

Two girls and a boy raise their hands carefully and Stiles nods at them, “You can stand here beside me so we can watch from the side, okay?”

The kids nod and come to stand beside Stiles, on the other side from Pirate.

“Can the rest of you stand on a straight line? A little more space between each other, please.”  

The kids quickly moves away from each other until they are standing on a line with about a yard between each other.

“Are there any volunteers to hide the contraband first? How about your teacher?”

Some of the kids call out their agreement and Allison smiles at Stiles. They had discussed this earlier and they both agreed that maybe she should go first. Stiles tells Pirate to stay as he walks over to hand over the ball to Allison and she hides it in her pocket, the kids watches her in awe. He steps back so stand beside Pirate and the three kids outside the line once more.

“Should we call out Derek and Talia?”

“Yes!” some of the kids scream and Stiles calls for them. Derek and Talia come out from the station. Derek’s face is set in grim determination and Stiles bites his lip not to smile. He, too, is dressed in a newly ironed uniform and Talia is wearing a vest.

Talia sniffs the kids at Derek’s command, some of them giggle and others look a bit scared, as if they have something to hide. Stiles has the fleeting idea to have all high school classes go through this and see if the rate of students using pot would sink. Maybe he should tell John about this plan?

Talia sits down and barks in front of Allison and Derek’s eyebrows twitch slightly in amusement. Allison hands him the ball and the kids applaud Talia and Derek, who looks a bit flustered to be at the end of the admiration. Stiles smiles at Derek as Derek hands over the ball to him and maybe he imagines the lingering of Derek’s fingertips against his palm. He shoos Derek and Talia inside with his hands and Derek rolls his eyes at him.

“Are there anyone else who wants to hide the ball?” Almost a third of the kids raise their hands eagerly and when everyone who wanted to has hid the ball from Talia the kids are allowed to sit down again. They immediately shuffle closer together and whisper excitedly to each other. Derek comes up to stand beside Stiles with Talia by his side. Stiles tells the kids about Talia as Derek had said “you’re the one who never shuts up, it’s a golden opportunity for you. Maybe they’ll even listen.”

They show some obedience exercises when the dog walk right beside them. They tell them to sit and stay and come when they’re called. The kids seem impressed even if it’s easy enough things.

After a bit of walking around Stiles and Derek stand side by side in front of the kids again and Stiles is wrapping it when suddenly someone in dark clothes and a mask usually reserved for robbers comes running out of the station. Stiles is a bit startled, but doesn’t have time to react as the man runs straight at Stiles, grabs his cap straight off his head and runs away.

Stiles has only a moment of surprise before he understands why Isaac had insisted on him wearing a cap. He tells Pirate to run after the “robber” and Pirate sprints after him, quicker than ever before. Maybe Pirate thinks this is the real deal? He jumps up at the man, whom Stiles is pretty sure is Isaac but it could be another colleague, and the man falls to the ground. Pirate steps away and lets the man rise from the ground. The man doesn’t move and Pirate stares intently at him, as if daring him to. Stiles jogs up to them and calls Pirate to his side. Stiles catches Isaac’s grin, he lost the mask when he fell, before Isaac sprints away again. Pirate barely needs to be told before he’s on Isaac again. This time when Isaac gets up he stays and hands Stiles his cap. Stiles notices that it now has grass stains on it.

“This was new,” he tells Isaac as they make it back to Derek and the kids. Derek is smirking and Stiles has the impression Derek was very much in on this plan.

“This is our colleague Isaac Lahey,” Stiles tells the kids who looks at Isaac in awe. “He thought it was fun to play me a little prank. He’s not a real robber, but this is what could happen if this had been real.”

The kids look a bit at ease at this and Allison’s smiling at them all. Stiles notices his father standing in the doorway and the smug smirk on his face tells Stiles that he, too, was in on it.

When the kids has left Stiles turns to Derek, “was I the only one left out?”

Derek smirks at him and Stiles swats at his shoulder, “asshole.”

“Suck it up, loser,” Isaac says and hangs over their shoulders. “First round’s on Derek, it was his plan.”

Derek rolls his eyes and to an outsider it would seem he doesn’t want to go out with the rest of them, but Stiles has learned to read Derek quite well and he can tell Derek is secretly pleased. He shares a smile with Isaac behind Derek’s back.

 

Derek does in fact buy them two rounds of drinks, Isaac buys the third and Stiles the fourth. When it’s Danny’s turn they realize that he has gone from the table and is out on the dance floor.

“Am I that drunk or is Danny between two people that looks exactly the same?” Isaac asks. Stiles and Derek follow his stare to see Danny out on the dance floor. He is between two well-built men that does, in fact, look the same, their bodies so close together that Stiles thinks Danny might just get double luck tonight.

“Twins,” Derek nods and Isaac shakes his head as if to erase some disturbing images. Stiles thinks he has the same images but he’s not so disturbed by them. Danny is hot and those twins are hot, too.

“How come Danny always hooks up with someone whenever we go here?” Stiles sighs and Isaac snickers.

“Jealous much?”

“Shut up, I haven’t heard you gotten any in ages.”

“Just because I don’t brag about it doesn’t mean I haven’t had sex!”

“So have you?”

“No.” Isaac’s shoulders slump in defeat and Derek pats him on the back, but from his amused looking eyebrows it seems more patronizing than comforting.

“What about you then, Derek?”

The question comes from Isaac. Well, of course it comes from Isaac, Stiles doesn’t want to hear about who Derek might have slept with lately.

“I’m not much for hook-ups.”

“Me neither,” Stiles says and Isaac gives him a weird look. So okay, maybe Stiles has had his fair share of hook-ups earlier in his life and sex is sex and most of the time it’s great no matter who the other person is, but thing is, right now Stiles can’t even _think_ about sex with someone other than Derek.

He balks internally at that thought.

Fuck.

“I need a drink,” is Stiles’ excuse as he gets up from the table and over to the bar. He knows he’s gone on Derek, but this gone? So gone he can’t imagine ever touching someone else? He can’t remember if he has ever felt this way before. Not even with Lydia, whom Stiles has all but officially proclaimed as the love of his life, did Stiles not think about anyone else. He was a teenager back then so of course he thought of others every once in a while. But now…

He tries to get the bartender’s attention, but he seems to be busy with the guys with more muscles and less clothes than Stiles.

“You here alone?” someone suddenly asks to his left and Stiles turns to see a dark-haired, good looking guy. Of course, he’s good looking, ugly people doesn’t seem to be allowed in at the Jungle. Stiles thinks he’s only let in because he came with Danny, Isaac and, of course, Derek.

“My friends are over there,” Stiles answers the man and gestures in the direction of their table even if he can’t see them because of all the people.

The man smiles and a hand is placed on his side as he leans in so he doesn’t have to shout to be heard over the music.

“I mean, are you single? And do you want to dance?”

Stiles thinks of Derek and the alcohol he needs and then thinks screw the alcohol and goes with the man towards the dance floor. The man only seems interesting in dancing, he keeps his distance even as he has his hands placed on Stiles waist, but they’re not low enough to be taken as if he’s trying to get lucky tonight. Stiles thinks he should feel disappointed, but he mostly feels relieved.

“You’re not interested in me, are you?”

The man winces and backs away slightly, as if he’s been using Stiles for something. His eyes flicker to their side and when Stiles follows his gaze he sees a blond man glowering at them.

“An ex?” he asks and the man in front of him nods, his eyebrows scrunching up and he looks so apologizing Stiles can’t help but pity him.

“I’m sorry,” the man begins but Stiles waves it away as he steps closer. He places his own hands on the man’s lower back and leans in to his ear to whisper, “you can’t make him jealous by dancing with a yard between us.” The man chuckles, but Stiles can feel his body relax.

It’s maybe half a song before someone knocks maybe a bit too hard on Stiles’ shoulder. Stiles steps away from the man to turn to face the blond man, his jaw is clenched and he looks pissed.

“Mind if I cut in?” he asks without unclenching his jaw.

Stiles turns to his dance partner who looks possibly thrilled and Stiles can’t help but laugh, “Be my guest.” His dark-haired dance partner gives him a grateful smile and Stiles mock-salutes him as he backs away from them. They quickly turn their attention to each other and Stiles has the distinct feeling they won’t stay at the dance floor for very long but take it to somewhere private.

He knows he can’t just keep running from Derek, he’ll just have to repress his feelings. He’s good at that, ignoring a problem till it goes away. In worst case scenario he’s pretty sure his dad will write an awesome recommendation letter.

He starts to back away to get back to his friends but is stopped as he backs into a warm, solid mass. For a heartbeat he thinks  it’s Derek as warm arms circle his waist but the arms around him are too hairy.

“You’re too pretty for him,” someone says into his ear and the voice and the lips against his ear makes Stiles shiver, but not from pleasure but from unease. He tries to step away, to turn around, but the man keeps him firmly in place as he presses something distinctly hard against Stiles’ ass. That’s all the encouragement Stiles needs to use the extra force needed to get him away. He turns to face his… molester? It’s a big guy, his shoulder’s even broader than Boyd’s, which is saying something. There’s no way Stiles would win if the man decided to get physical and the thought scares him a bit. The man leers at him and his hands, which are still on Stiles’ waist even though Stiles has managed to turn around and back away some, drop lower to his hips and tries to sneak inside his shirt.

“Oh, come on, babe,” the man says and Stiles glares at him, “you didn’t seem to mind getting handsy with that other guy.”

“That _other guy_ was a friend of mine,” Stiles lies, “who wanted help with getting his ex back. Now they are together so I’m going to _my own_ boyfriend. And if my boyfriend sees you touching me without my permission he’ll rip your throat out.”

He has to push hard to get away from the man and freezes as another hard body stops him from getting too far away. Oh, please, don’t let there be two of them, he prays. He pulls hard to get the new-comer to lose his grip on Stiles’ elbow.

“Stiles, where did you-? What’s wrong?”

Stiles has never felt so relieved to hear a familiar voice before.

“Derek,” he lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding in and steps close to Derek’s side, “please, pretend you’re my boyfriend.”

Derek’s arm snakes around his waist, almost as soon as Stiles has spoken the words, and he pulls Stiles even closer to his side.

“What’s going on?” Derek glares at the man and Stiles hides a smug smile in Derek’s shoulder.

The man raises his hand in surrender, “we were just chatting.”

He disappears away through the dancing people and Derek glares daggers even after he’s gone.

“What happened?” he asks and he doesn’t let go of Stiles, but loosens his grip to steer him toward their table.

“He’s probably just alone,” Stiles tries to wave it away even has he can feel himself shaking slightly. He has never before felt so powerless in front of another human being.

“Don’t,” Derek says and Stiles doesn’t know if he means putting on a brave face or trying to excuse the man’s behavior. Stiles puts his arm around Derek’s waist and grips the shirt at his side maybe a bit too tight.

“Thanks for helping me out,” he says and Derek squeezes him a bit tighter before letting him go to sit down at the table where Isaac is waiting.

“Anytime,” Derek says and he slips his arm over the back of Stiles’ chair and his hand stays against Stiles’ side for the rest of the night. Stiles doesn’t know if it’s to keep up the pretense of being boyfriends or if Derek has some other agenda. Either way, Stiles doesn’t mind one bit.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can always find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). I'm friendly and love company.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may notice that the rating just got up quite a lot? Let's just say it's not because of the fluffy kittens mentioned in the beginning of the chapter...
> 
> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is the forever fantastic beta.

Stiles visits Scott at the vet’s station the next day because he needs to talk to someone about his big revelation. Stiles knows Scott will understand because Scott has probably not thought of anyone but Allison in a lovey-dovey way since he first saw the girl. Scott directs Stiles to one of the smaller examination room that currently is the home of a cat mom and her five weeks old kittens. Stiles doesn’t mind at all.

“Dude, your job is awesome!” A tortoise kitten is climbing into his lap and her black and white brother is curling his head into Stiles’ thigh and is already sleeping.

“Do you see me having time to cuddle kittens?” Scott asks as he empties the litter box. He makes a disgusted face and Stiles grimaces as he can feel the smell all over the room.

“But you could if you wanted to,” Stiles says.

“If I wanted to get fired, yeah.”

It’s a lie. They both know it. Doctor Deaton adores Scott and sees him as his son, he’d rather quit the job himself than fire Scott. Still, Scott has ethics and Stiles guesses that’s a good quality.

“I’m in love with Derek,” he admits because he can’t really wait for the perfect opening, he needs to leave for his own job soon. And they have never really been the ones to beat around the bush.

“I know.” Scott doesn’t look up from where he’s now making the cat bed, making mother cat give him a glare worthy of Derek Hale. Scott rubs her head with his hand and she soon starts to purr instead. Maybe that’s how Stiles should get Derek to purr? By rubbing his head? And when Stiles is thinking of Derek’s head, he might be thinking of a _different_ head.

“Dude, are you drooling?”

“Am not!” Stiles wipes his mouth quickly. He was, in fact, not drooling, but he might have zoned out a bit. “ _Anyway_ , I’m like really, totally in love with him. It’s scary.”

“I know,” Scott says and when the hell did Scott become so calm with this kind of things?

“Do you ever think about someone else? Like fantasize about someone else?”

Scott scrunches up his face in confusion, as if the thought of thinking of someone other than Allison has never even occurred to him.

“Usually we’re quite equal in bed, you know, but sometimes Allison is really bossy,” he says, eyebrows still scrunched up as if he’s thinking really hard.

“Oh my god, that does not count!”

Stiles does not need to hear that Allison dresses up in leather and puts a leash on Scott. That image will probably never leave his head.

Scott looks apologetic; as if he’s sorry he’s not more helpful.

“Have you never, like, thought of what it would be like to be with, say, Scarlett Johansson?”

Scott makes a confused face.

“The hot chick in the Avengers movie,” Stiles tries to get him to remember.

“Didn’t we have a classmate named that?” Scott asks.

“No, that was Scarlett Johnson.”

“Potato, pot-AH-to,” Scott says even though it’s so not the same thing, but Stiles refrains from commenting because they’re getting off topic.

“So what’s so scary about being in love with Derek?” Scott asks and sits down next to Stiles and grabs one of the four kittens. It mews adorably and Stiles coos and forgets Scott’s question. Scott doesn’t seem to mind but continues, “I’d say go for it, man. I mean, you and Lydia are like best friends now and you wanted to marry her for ten years. ”

“Yeah, but…”

“Didn’t your shift start at two?”

“Shit. See you Friday!”

Stiles unceremoniously dumps the kitten in Scott’s awaiting hands and rushes of. There’s no way he’s going to make it across town in ten minutes. Hopefully his dad isn’t in and won’t see Stiles turn up late and slightly hung over.

And he still doesn’t know what to do with the whole Derek thing. He thinks he’ll just suppress his emotions till the day he dies or till they go away. He has a feeling it’ll be the former rather the latter.

 

Friday comes and Stiles ends up at Scott and Allison’s place, as promised. Derek is there too and he seems completely oblivious to the turmoil Stiles experiences every time he leans a bit closer.

Stiles realizes as he notices Derek eyeing Allison warily that he hasn’t talked to her about her supposed relative that burned Derek’s parents to death. Kate has been out of prison for almost two weeks now and no one has seen her. Stiles would feel better if someone had seen her at an airport bordering a plane to another country, but the fact that they have no idea where she is or what she is planning makes him really nervous. He can tell this affects Derek too even if the other man doesn’t say anything. He notices the way Derek checks the lists of wanted people a couple of times every day, Stiles does too so he doesn’t mention it. He knows Danny is looking, too, but they never talk about it.

Allison leaves for the kitchen and Stiles seizes the opportunity to talk to her alone as he hurries after her. Once inside the kitchen he has no idea what to say. He shuffles around, pretending to look for something.

“Out with it,” Allison finally says and look sternly at him.

Stiles gulps.

“Do you know any Kate?”

Allison pales and the smile disappear from her face. She nods.

“She’s my aunt, I guess. She’s a sister to my dad.”

Stiles knows Chris Argent from work. He works close to the district attorney along with Jackson and Stiles admits to be quite intimidated by the man. He knows Jackson is too which doesn’t make Chris less frightening.

“You know she broke out?” Stiles asks and Allison nods.

“Why are we talking about this?” she asks and she seems upset and Stiles can’t really blame her.

“She…” Stiles begins and how does one say that someone’s aunt killed another friend’s parents? “Derek’s parents…”

Allison’s brown eyes widen and her mouth falls opened and Stiles knows she understands.

“Oh, god,” she whispers, a hand over her mouth. “I… I had no idea.”

“Do you have any-?” Derek stops in the doorway and falls quiet. Stiles turns and Derek’s eyes flicker between them, as if he understands what they have been talking about.

“Derek, I’m sorry,” Allison says and Stiles hear she’s crying even though he doesn’t turn to look at her.

Derek just stands there, frozen in place and Stiles doesn’t know what to say to lighten the mood. He doesn’t know if he even _should_ lighten the mood.

“Allison, hurry up, Isaac soon eats the coal-”

Scott bumps right into Derek’s back and Stiles would have laughed at Scott who almost falls on his ass if it wasn’t for the tension in the room.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Scott asks, missing the tension completely. “Why are you crying, baby?”

He hurries to Allison’s side and look at Stiles and Derek, as if he thinks they teamed up against his wife.

“My aunt killed Derek’s parents,” Allison sobs and Scott looks around, as if expecting Derek’s parents on the floor or something.

“Not now.” Derek rolls of his eyes and Scott seems to relax somewhat. “Fourteen years ago.”

Scott still looks confused though. Derek sighs audibly and rubs at his face.

“Maybe I should go?” he says quietly and Stiles shakes his head.

“No!” Allison cries and reaches out to take Derek’s hand. Derek seems surprised at the contact but doesn’t pull his hand away. “Please, stay. If you want to.”

Derek nods as if he’s afraid to refuse a crying woman (Stiles doesn’t blame him if he is). Stiles takes the few steps between him and Derek and puts his hand on Derek’s forearm. He quirks his head to the outside and Derek nods.

“Is Allison crying?” Jackson suddenly asks from the doorway. “Why is she crying?”

“Women,” Stiles says, making a face and ushers Jackson and Derek outside. Jackson seems to accept Stiles’ explanation.

“Is the food coming soon?” Isaac asks and Stiles nods just to keep him happy.

He seats himself next to Derek, maybe a little closer than normal and bumps his knee against Derek’s thigh in a way that’s supposed to be reassuring. Derek gives him a small smile and Stiles smiles back, his heart fluttering. Laura giggles at something, it might be at them, and Derek turns his head away from Stiles but Stiles can’t find it in himself to be sad, Derek’s leg is still pressed against his.

Stiles isn’t drinking any alcohol tonight as he promised to drive Laura and Derek home and he isn’t one to drink and drive, not even a sip. Not since the first time he was at the scene of a car-crash after some bitch – though not really, just a normal, regular woman who had been drinking a few glasses of wine at her friend’s place – had rammed right into another car. The five year old kid in the other car was the sole survivor. Stiles’ colleagues and Boyd get this without him explaining anything and they follow his lead, the ones that are driving away from the place at night are always sober. Jackson had thrown a fit the first time Stiles kept him from getting into his Porsche.

“I had like two glasses of wine!” Jackson yelled, almost red in his face from anger, “you honestly think I can’t drive after that? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“If you get into that car I will fucking _kill you_ ,” Stiles had said, jaw clenched and the five year old boy with half his face burnt was present inside his mind and Stiles would rather die than have another kid become orphan because of his stupid friend.

Jackson stopped, his arms falling at his side and eyes widening slightly.

“You’re serious,” he said and just now grasping this fact and Stiles fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“Of course I’m serious.” Stiles isn’t the kind of person who throws death threats around so he was glad Jackson finally caught up.

Jackson’s shoulders slumped and he handed Stiles his car-keys – this was the first and only time Stiles got to hold the key to Jackson’s heart and he was sad that he, too, had been drinking – before walking back inside Isaac’s apartment, asking for someone to either drive him home or taking him in for the night.

That was the only time one of Stiles’ friends tried to drive after an alcoholic drink.

Stiles is driving tonight and therefore he is not drinking anything but coke. Coke has a great taste but it doesn’t really make him warm from the inside, as alcohol does.

“Can you please be still, Stilinski?” Jackson finally snaps from the other side of the table.

“I’m cold, I’m sorry, your highness,” Stiles shots back and Jackson rolls his eyes.

Stiles regrets the fact that he only brought his hoodie, it’s not enough to keep him warm. Derek rolls his eyes at Stiles and/or Jackson and pulls off his leather jacket before draping it over Stiles’ shoulder and yeah, that’s much better. The jacket is still warm from Derek’s body and Stiles grins broadly at Derek, who rolls his eyes but looks pleased. Stiles knows he could have asked Scott for a shirt or jacket but this is a much better solution, he thinks as he doesn’t smell Derek on the collar of the jacket. And he does not bury his nose in it when no one is watching, he doesn’t.

“You’re not cold?” Stiles asks Derek who only wears a Henley now.

Derek motions at the beer bottle on the table in front of him and that is answer enough.

For some reason they end up talking about parents and family that night. When Stiles thinks about it he guesses his friends are a quite messed up bunch of people when it comes to parents. Scott’s dad left when Scott was ten years old, after beating the crap out of Scott’s mom; Jackson’s adopted and his parents are filthy rich in money but doesn’t really know how to show love; Lydia’s not adopted but her parents are rich and think love is buying everything for their daughter; Isaac lived with his father who beat the crap out of him almost every day until his father died in their late high school years.

Derek sits quiet for most of the time, which isn’t unusual, but so does Laura until after Allison cries over her dead mother. Laura extends her hand to Allison, who grasps it thankfully, her other hand is entangled with both of Scott’s.

“Both of our parents are dead, too,” Laura says quietly, motioning at herself and Derek from across the table.

Stiles sees Derek stiffen and before he has time to think too much about it or regret it, he puts his hand over Derek’s in a calming gesture. He sees Derek’s shoulders sag a bit and is on his way to pull his hand back when Derek turns his hand, his palm up against Stiles’ and entangles their fingers. Stiles misses the beginning of Laura’s story due to the sound of his own beating heart.

Derek tells the others about Kate in a low, monotone voice, his eyes at the candles on the table and his hand in Stiles’. He doesn’t tell them everything, he doesn’t tell them about the party and Laura coming for him or about the fact that Kate tried to take Derek with her when she went to jail.

“Well, aren’t we fucked up,” Jackson says after Derek’s gone quiet and Derek snorts, making a surprised chuckle escape Stiles and suddenly they are all laughing.

There might be some crying _and_ laughing, but the mood is lifted and none of his friends look suicidal when Stiles, Derek, Laura and Danny leave.

“We should have taken my car,” Derek says as Laura and Danny get into the backseat that Stiles has re-instated for this occasion as Pirate usually gets the whole back for himself. Pirate and Talia seem less happy to be in the small trunk at the very back of the car. Stiles knows that Derek knows that Pirate and Talia would never get inside the trunk of the Camaro.

They drop Danny off first and then Laura.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Laura laughs and blows a kiss at Derek’s glare.

Stiles doesn’t really want to drop Derek off, but he knows that’s what he’s supposed to do and not doing it would equal to kidnapping, right? The ride to Derek’s apartment building is silent and Stiles tries to come up with ways to keep him in Derek’s presence just a little bit longer. He stops the car outside the building and turns to Derek, who unbuckles his seatbelt slowly. Stiles knows there’s something not quite right with Derek, but he can’t pinpoint what it is exactly. It may be the way Derek keeps his eyes lowered or the stiff posture of his shoulder.

“Look, if you feel you shouldn’t have told the others about… you know, your family, don’t worry. They’re cool, you know, they wouldn’t-”

“Yeah, I know,” Derek says, “it’s just- I haven’t really talked to anyone- Well, anyone that wasn’t paid. Not anyone important.”

Derek’s eyes are impossibly green in the dim light and he is looking straight at Stiles, who swallows audibly. Derek leans forward a bit and Stiles licks his lips unconsciously, noticing the way Derek’s eyes dart down to watch his tongue. Stiles leans forward a bit more and Derek meets him halfway and their lips meet and yeah, that is really nice. Stiles tangles his fingers into Derek’s hair, pulls him closer and opens his mouth. Derek’s kisses are slow but leave Stiles gasping for breath.

“Uh…“ Stiles says when Derek pulls back.

Derek stares at him, looks a bit surprised himself, but doesn’t let his hands drop from Stiles’ cheeks.

“Are you drunk?” Stiles asks. Honestly, that’s the only reason he can think of for Derek to kiss him.

“No, stupid,” Derek says, his lips close to Stiles’ again, almost touching.

“But why are you-?” Stiles can’t manage to finish the question.

“You think I cuddle just about everyone?” Derek asks, “hold hands with just anyone and comfort them when they cry over their mother?”

Stiles has somehow been rendered speechless, for the first time in his life.

“You did,” Derek deadpans as he realizes the answer to his questions and Stiles doesn’t know what to say. It isn’t as if hot people like Derek are interested in him all the time.

“More kissing?” he asks; he can’t really think and Derek’s really close.

Derek’s answer is to press his lips against Stiles’ and Stiles doesn’t complain. Derek’s mouth his warm and his hands leave Stiles shuddering as they leave his cheeks and caress his throat, his neck, his collarbones and Stiles may be moaning a bit as Derek’s lips leave his and nips at his jawline.

“God, Stiles, your mouth,” Derek groans into his ear, pulling at Stiles’ earlobe with his teeth and yeah, Stiles has never given Derek’s _teeth_ that much credit but he definitely likes them. “You know you keep putting things in your mouth? You’re fucking… _fucking_ pens with your mouth, you do that on purpose, don’t you? You do it to fuck with my head, right?”

Derek’s voice is rough and Stiles can barely concentrate on the words he’s saying.

“I… I don’t… I didn’t know that affected you. _God_ ,” Stiles whimpers as Derek’s _biting_ his neck.

“It did. It does,” Derek almost growls and pushes the jacket – his own jacket – off Stiles’ shoulders and pulls at the bottom at Stiles’ hoodie.

Stiles realizes that they’re still in his car and that they either should stop – a prospect Stiles doesn’t really like – or take this someplace else.

“Derek. _Derek,_ ” he manages to push Derek away from him and Derek’s lips are red and his panting and Stiles really doesn’t want this to stop anytime soon.

“We’re still in my car. Either you invite me inside or…”

“Inside,” Derek says before Stiles even finishes the sentence, “if you want to?”

Derek looks uncertain, as if Stiles could ever say no to him.

“Definitely inside,” Stiles says and plants a kiss on Derek’s lips before getting out of the car.

They’re almost at the door of the building when a bark makes them look back at the car and their dogs who don’t look very pleased at being left behind. Stiles hurries to let them out and Derek holds up the door for him when he gets back. They don’t wait for the elevator but take the stairs almost two at a time to get inside Derek’s apartment as soon as possible.

Once inside Derek turns to Stiles and their lips are once again pressed together. Pirate jumps around them, probably thinking this is some new kind of game and Stiles considers locking his dog out.

“Am I bad if I wanna sexile my dog?” Stiles asks and leans his head against the wall as Derek’s lips trail down his neck again.

Derek seems to have a thing for necks – or maybe just Stiles’ neck? Not that Stiles is complaining or anything. Derek chuckles at his neck.

“He _is_ a cock-blocking dog,” he agrees and Stiles nods and winds his fingers into Derek’s hair.

Pirate barks and bumps his head against Stiles’ leg.

“Bedroom, now,” Stiles says and Derek takes his hand and pulls him through the living room and then promptly shuts the bedroom door right in Pirate’s happy-looking face.

He pulls of Stiles’ hoodie before pressing his whole body against Stiles’, pressing him up against the door. This time Stiles definitely feels Derek’s hard dick against his hip and he moans and pulls at Derek’s Henley. The shirt comes off and for the first time Stiles is presented with Derek’s gorgeous chest without having to try to not look.

“God, you’re fucking gorgeous,” Stiles whispers and drags his palms over Derek’s pectorals, stopping to rub his thumbs against Derek’s nipples, earning himself a pleased hiss and then let his fingers sprawl over Derek’s abs. Fucking washboard abs and Stiles really want to lick them. So he does. Derek groans and winds his fingers into Stiles’ hair, not pushing him just massaging his scalp.

“You’re so hot,” Derek says and Stiles looks up at him from where he’s on the floor, his lips against Derek’s abs.

Derek’s thumb caresses Stiles’ lips and Stiles pulls the digit into his mouth, sucking a bit on the tips and Derek’s eyes widen, his pupils blown and Stiles smirks as he runs his tongue around the tip.

“Bed,” Derek growls – he actually growls and Stiles didn’t know he was into that sound but his cock obviously is.

Stiles rises and Derek pulls off his tee and pushes him backwards, against the bed until Stiles is lying on his back and Derek’s over him, kissing him once again and Stiles likes this new position quite much. Derek’s hands roam over his chest, rub at his nipples and then dip lower to begin unbuttoning his jeans. Derek’s body against his is warm and hard and possibly the best thing Stiles has ever felt. He bucks up with his hips, searching for that lovely friction and Derek presses down, giving it to him. Stiles moans and scratches at Derek’s back, trying to find something to hold on to. Derek pulls off his pants and boxers in one swift motion and then his hand is around Stiles’ cock and that’s even better.

“God, yeah,” Stiles murmurs against Derek’s lips, not so much kissing, more panting and mouthing against them. “Just… just like that.”

Derek dips his head to suck at Stiles’ neck and he might leave a bruise there but Stiles doesn’t care. He knows he’s too old for hickeys but fuck, if he doesn’t like Derek’s lips on his body.

“Your clothes,” he says and tugs helplessly at Derek’s belt loops, “off.”

Derek moves away from him to kick off his own pants and underwear before pulling Stiles flush against him and that’s great, too. Stiles thinks Derek could do anything to him and Stiles would only moan and agree. Not that he would ever tell Derek this.

“I want…” Derek gasps against his neck, rolling his hips against Stiles’ just _so_ and Stiles loves the way his own dick feels against Derek’s.

“Anything,” Stiles moans and breaks the promise he made to himself just moments ago. “Anything you want.”

Derek chuckles against Stiles’ neck and bites him before licking as if to say _sorry_. Stiles thinks there’s nothing to feel sorry for. Derek’s hand is on his dick again and then on his balls and then behind them, teasing lightly.

“Please,” Stiles whimpers. “Fuck me.”

Derek lets out a ragged breath and leans his forehead against Stiles’ shoulder.

“Since you ask so nicely,” he says and Stiles grins at him.

Derek pulls away to find lube and condoms in a drawer of the bedside table and then slicks his fingers up before lying down beside Stiles again.

“It’s been awhile,” Stiles warns and Derek nods as he pushes one finger against Stiles’ hole, just teasing lightly and Stiles groans. “Not that long, I’m not a fucking virgin.”

That earns him a raised eyebrow and Derek pushes his finger all the way inside.

“Oh _yes_ ,” Stiles moans and spreads his legs wider as he moves onto his back, Derek still beside him with his green-hazel eyes fixed on Stiles’ face.

Stiles bites his lips, to keep himself from moaning too much as Derek’s finger slowly fucks him.

“Faster, please,” Stiles whimpers and Derek pushes a second finger against his opening. “Yes, like that, yes, god, _Derek_.”

Derek chuckles and kisses his face, his lips, his neck and chest – anywhere he can reach really.

“I would have known you’d be loud in bed,” he whispers, “you never shut up, do you?”

“You – uh – want me to?”

“God, no,” Derek says against his lips and fucks Stiles a bit harder with his fingers, making Stiles’ back arch every now and then when he hits that sweet spot.

The angle isn’t the best, though, Derek’s fingers doesn’t get as deep as Stiles would like, but he likes Derek close to his side and figures Derek’s cock will make up for it later. Derek pushes in a third finger and watches Stiles’ face, as if he’s afraid it’ll be too much for Stiles.

“I’m not gonna break,” Stiles says and pulls Derek in for a sloppy kiss, tongues just laving at each other and teeth tugging at lips.

Derek pushes his fingers at bit harder, a bit faster and Stiles moans and extends his throat. Derek takes that as a silent request for more hickeys, it seems, and Stiles isn’t one to complain. A fourth finger is inserted and it’s a bit of bad pain but mostly just painfully slow.

“God, you’re slow,” Stiles mutters and cants his hips to make Derek fuck him harder, faster, but Derek’s fingers keep their slow pace until Stiles has had enough. He pulls Derek’s hand out from between his legs and Derek looks a bit shocked as Stiles pushes him over onto his back and straddling his thighs.

“Do I have to do everything myself?” Stiles asks and gives Derek a hard look as he reaches for the packages of condoms from beside Derek.

He jerks at Derek’s long, thick cock a couple of times before opening the foil package and rolls on a condom before slicking it up with a large amount of lube. Derek grunts but doesn’t say anything. His hands are against Stiles’ thighs, clenching and unclenching, and he’s watching Stiles with an awed expression. Stiles moves a bit higher over Derek’s body and then positions Derek’s cock against his hole, slowly sinking down. Derek grabs his hips almost painfully hard but keeps mostly still.

“God, Stiles,” he whispers, “you’re so tight.”

Stiles saves him a smirk and Derek’s breath seems to hitch in his chest. Stiles bits his lips and closes his eyes as he sinks down fully onto Derek’s cock.

“Don’t move,” he orders and Derek’s body is tense underneath him. “Just… give me a moment.”

He moves slowly upwards and then sinks down again, equally slow to adjust to the cock inside him and Derek’s hips push upwards.

“Don’t _move_ ,” Stiles repeats.

“I’m sorry, I need to… I- God, _Stiles._ ”

“Patience,” Stiles says and Derek snorts and he sounds half-choked.

“That’s so not coming from you,” he complains but with no real heat. He’s almost shaking with the effort of not moving.

Stiles smiles and picks up the speed somewhat. One of Derek’s hands goes up to his neck to drag him down for a kiss as Stiles keeps fucking himself onto Derek’s cock slowly, rolling his hips and searching for that sweet spot. Their lips brush against each other and Derek’s hips moves against Stiles’ and Stiles moans as his back arches with the pleasure.

He straightens himself with his palms against Derek’s chest and begins to move in a quicker pace, moaning at every thrust because _god_ , does it feel good. Derek groans low in his throat and Stiles tries to get more sounds from him but soon the pleasure takes over him and he doesn’t really care about the sounds Derek’s making, only that they’re really hot and make his cock leaks and Derek’s cock is _so_ hard inside him as he keeps riding him.

“Yes, yes, _God,_ yes,” he chants and stops, he’s so close. “I’m gonna-”

“Come on,” Derek groans and thrust his hips upwards, grabs Stiles’ hips and starts pushing up, “yeah, come on, Stiles, come on, baby. Come.”

Derek’s right hand leaves Stiles’ hip to grab at his cock and jerk quickly.

“Oh, god, yes, yes, Derek, yes – god, oh.”

A couple of tugs is all it takes before Stiles is coming hard, clamping down on Derek’s cock, back arching and digging his nails into Derek’s chest, his toes curling as he rides through his orgasm. He falls down onto Derek and breathes heavily against Derek’s neck, ignoring the sticky mess of his come on his and Derek’s bellies. Derek’s hips move slowly and Stiles can feel that he’s still hard, still hasn’t come.

“Just… give me a second,” Stiles says, eyes closed and breathing heavy and leaves pecks at Derek’s neck and shoulder. “You’re the best.”

Derek waits a second and then pushes at Stiles, who’s almost falling asleep on top of Derek.

“Sorry,” Stiles says and pulls off Derek. “You wanna, from behind?”

Derek nods and moves behind Stiles, who has barely the strength to keep himself on hands and knees. Derek positions himself and is soon pounding quickly into Stiles. Stiles’ arms give out and his on his elbows and then they give out to and he’s just face into the sheet and ass in the air and Derek keeps fucking him. Stiles moans softly, it feels good, he’s not going to come again, but it feels good. Derek grunts, leans over Stiles to kiss the back of his neck, his chest pressed against Stiles’ back and then Derek’s body stills and Stiles can feel Derek pulsing inside him as he comes. Derek’s muttering something against his hairline but he can’t really hear what, he’s not really trying to either.

Derek keeps them like this for a moment before pulling out and Stiles just falls to his side, watching Derek leave for the bathroom. His eyes feel heavy and he really hopes this wasn’t a onetime thing, and not only because he really doesn’t want to drive home tonight.

Derek comes back with a wet cloth. He makes a face at the mess on his sheets and Stiles smiles lazily up at him as he wipes at the mess on Stiles’ belly and cock. It feels strangely intimate, even next to what they just did, but Stiles doesn’t want Derek to stop. Derek tries to wipe up the most of the mess on the sheets and makes another face.

“I’m not lying in that,” he says and leaves for the bathroom again.

Stiles moves to grab the cover and puts it over the wet spot before lying down again. Derek gives him a look and fetches a new cover from one of the closets before covering Stiles with it and lying down beside him.

Stiles moves closer, eyes half-closed and sighs as Derek nudges him to lie against Derek’s shoulder with Derek’s arm under his head.

“It’s funny,” Derek muses, “that sex is all it takes to make you shut up.”

Stiles snorts which makes Derek chuckle and pull him closer, his other arm is going for Stiles’ hand which is lying on top of his chest, entangling their fingers.

“I won’t tell anyone you’re a closet cuddler, if you shut up about the best way to silence me,” Stiles says and Derek stiffens a bit.

Before Stiles has time to ask why, Derek is talking, “I don’t like sharing.”

Stiles smiles.

“Neither do I.”

“Good.”

Stiles uses the last of his energy to raise his head and kiss Derek’s lips slowly.

“It’d be quite hard trying to pick someone up all covered in hickeys, don’t you think?” Stiles says and Derek has, at least, the good grace to wince.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s hot.”

“I have a thing for hickeys,” Derek admits and presses two fingers to Stiles’ neck where Stiles guesses he has a hickey.

“Noted,” Stiles says. “Just keep them to the weekends, can you? Or underneath the collar. It’ll look bad when I’m in my uniform.”

“It’ll look _very good_ in your uniform. _You_ look good in your uniform.”

“You too,” Stiles says and Derek plants a kiss to his forehead.

Stiles is half-asleep when Pirate starts whining outside the bedroom door but only moves away slightly so Derek can get up and let the dogs in – even if Pirate’s the one making the noise, Stiles is certain Talia is out there too, wanting to get in. There are four pairs of paws against the floor and then Derek’s back in bed. He manhandles Stiles onto his side and then pulls Stiles’ back close to his chest and kisses his neck. Stiles feels the bed dip as Pirate jumps up beside him, but the dog doesn’t care about him, he just lies down and falls asleep almost as quickly as Stiles does. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they finally get together and they're all lovey-dovey. Will things continue like this? Will the coming chapters be just sex in several different positions? (Hint: it won't...)
> 
> Come say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). I don't bite (unless you want me to or I get angry).


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I don't really have an excuse as to why. 
> 
> A huge thanks to my amazing beta, [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/)!

Stiles is rudely awakened by some whining and his cover being pulled down to his thighs. Stiles is quite warm, courtesy of Derek’s warm body, so he doesn’t care to pull the cover up again.

“Fucking Laura,” Derek mutters into his neck and Stiles understands that this particular trick has been taught to Talia by Derek’s sister.

He kisses Stiles’ shoulder and gets out of bed.

“You can stay,” he says and Stiles hadn’t thought of rising anytime soon.

Derek dresses and Stiles hears the dogs getting their food and then Derek takes them for a walk. Hopefully just around the block and then Derek will be back in bed with him.

Stiles is half-asleep again when he hears keys in the door and then the sound of footsteps.

“Wakey, wakey, sunshine,” a voice says from the doorway and that voice does definitely not belong to Derek.

Stiles scrambles to get the cover up over his very naked body as Laura chuckles.

“I see my brother had his wicked way with you,” she grins and Stiles hides under the cover, but her laughter lets him know she already saw his beet-red face. And maybe more. “Seems he claimed his ownership, too.”

“Shut up,” Stiles mutters from under the cover and Laura laughs.

“I thought you’d be way more fun than this, Stilinski,” she says, “I’m disappointed. I thought you’d tell all my brother’s kinks.”

“It’s disturbing that you want to know,” Stiles shots back and Laura snorts.

“Laura!” Derek yells from the doorway, sounding possibly alarmed.

“Relax, baby bro, I haven’t done anything. Except see his naked butt. Very cute,” Laura says, but she sounds unimpressed and Stiles wonders if the earth could just open up and swallow him whole.

He hears the sound of the dogs happily greeting Laura and hopes they will keep Laura’s attention away from Stiles and his naked self.

“At least you two are happy to see me, right?” Laura coos.

“What are you doing here?” Derek asks and Stiles dares to poke his head outside the cover.

Laura kneels in the doorway, cooing at the dogs and Derek stands in front of her, his arms crossed and scowl in place.

“Can’t I wanna hang out with my favorite brother?” she asks and Derek’s scowl deepens.

“Last I checked I was your only.”

“Hence the favorite part,” Laura singsongs.

“Can’t you just…” Derek waves his hand in the air – something Stiles isn’t sure Derek has ever done before, Stiles must be rubbing of on him, “…go bother someone else?”

Laura sighs loudly and takes the leashes from Derek’s hand.

“Call me when you two are ready to hang out. I’m taking the dogs – come on, you two.”

Laura clicks her tongue at the dogs that willingly follow her through the apartment and then Stiles hears the door click shut. Derek leans against the doorframe, watching Stiles and there’s definitely some hunger in that look. He wets his lips and notices how Derek’s eyes follow his tongue. Stiles bites his lip to keep from smirking. He pulls the cover down a bit and both sees and hears Derek’s sharp intake of breath.

“Are you just gonna stand there?” Stiles asks and Derek’s on him in no time, claiming his lips.

 

Having a relationship with Derek turns out easier than Stiles expected. Maybe it is because they knew each other before getting into bed together. Or maybe it’s just because it’s Derek. Stiles is turning in to such a sap, into _Scott_.

Scott is one of the first to find out about the relationship. Stiles meets him and Allison for Sunday brunch at a café in town. Stiles had decided to wear a button down to try to cover the hickeys Derek so charitably had left on his neck. He had tried with a scarf but it was almost summertime and Stiles can’t even pull off a knitted scarf in the winter. The hickeys aren’t as bad as they had been the morning after but they were still quite… colorful. The shirt doesn’t cover all of them though and when Stiles meets up with Scott and Allison, Scott stares at his neck with wide eyes. Stiles blushes and tugs at his collar a bit.

“Dude, someone tried to choke you or what? You have like bruises on your neck.”

Stiles covers them with his hand and coughs, he has no idea how to explain this whole ordeal; he really thought Scott would have seen a hickey before.

“Scott, sweetie,” Allison says, stifling her laughter and sharing a look with Stiles. ”I don’t think those are _bad_ bruises.”

Scott frowns and then his eyes widens.

“You’re into some kind of bondage? Dude, that’s creepy!”

“No,” Stiles half-yells and a few other patrons turns their heads in their direction.

God, Scott is no virgin and he knows Stiles isn’t either.

“They’re hickeys,” Stiles hisses so no one can listen in on them.

Scott’s eyebrows rise on his forehead and Stiles has no idea how Scott could have lived twenty-five years without knowing what a damn hickey is. Stiles grabs Scott’s arm to suck a hickey onto his forearm.

“Dude, what are you doing?”

Scott yanks his arm away before Stiles’ mouth had been able to create a hickey, “I know what a damn hickey is. I just didn’t think anyone over age eighteen would want them.”

Stiles glares at him.

“Is it Derek?” Allison asks to break them apart from their glaring contest, and Stiles turns from Scott to pretend to be interested in his breakfast as he feels his face grow hot, which causes her to giggle. “You two were practically in each other’s laps the other night.”

Stiles would be lying if he said that doesn’t warm his heart and makes him all giddy.

“Dude, you and Derek? That’s awesome!” Scott says and turns to Allison, “wait, you knew about them?”

“Honey, Derek was practically undressing Stiles with his eyes. You didn’t see?”

Scott looks confused and Stiles is really not surprised that Scott hadn’t seen anything; had Stiles not told him about his feeling for Derek, Scott would probably be oblivious of them too.

 

The third person Stiles has to tell is his father, whom he goes to at Sunday night for dinner. Since Stiles moved home after he earned his badge he’s had dinner at his dad’s place every Sunday night, even though they met almost every weekday. Stiles had called Lydia in panic that afternoon, asking her if she didn’t have some makeup to cover the hickeys with, but Lydia said makeup would probably just make them look worse. Unless he was prepared to go with theatrical makeup. The only theatrical makeup Lydia had was from last Halloween and Stiles doubted corpse paint and blood would appease John.

The sheriff takes one look at his son’s neck before sighing in a clearly unimpressed way.

“You’re not a teenager anymore, Stiles,” he says, which Stiles thinks is a bit unfair as it wasn’t like teenager Stiles had run around with hickeys all through high school. Stiles had been all legal the first time he had had sex (not because of lack of trying earlier though, but the Sheriff really didn’t need to know that, did he?)

“I wasn’t really thinking,” Stiles says and at his dad’s gaze he shakes his head quickly, “well, I was thinking, but not really about that.”

The sheriff gives him another one of his stares and Stiles winces, “Can we just eat? I brought thai.”

John motions to the kitchen and the two Stilinski men move into the kitchen to dish up.

“So, is it someone I know?” There is amusement in John’s voice and Stiles wonders what his father knows that he doesn’t.

“Yeah, kinda,” Stiles says and wonders if there is some sort of protocol how to tell parents about boyfriends, he hasn’t really had much experience in the department. “It’s Derek.”

John smiles and looks kind of pleased and maybe he isn’t as oblivious to the gossip in the office as Stiles originally had thought?

“How long?” he asks and Stiles really wants to be able to lie to his dad, something he never really has succeeded at (not for lack of trying in his teenage years).

“Since Friday.”

John raises his eyebrows in surprise, “I thought it had been going on for some time.”

This time it’s Stiles’ turn to look surprised.

“Don’t give me that look, son. You wear your heart on your sleeve and Derek really seems to like you. I just thought you two had moved from the friend department earlier.”

“Uh,” Stiles replies intelligently, “not really. There was- uh- well, now we have.”

“I’m happy for you, kid.”

John gives him a one-armed hug and Stiles hugs him back.

“Bring Derek next week, will you?”

 

Walking in together to the office isn’t as bad as Stiles had thought either. Greenberg is – thank god – ill for a whole week. Isaac high-fives Derek (Derek actually reciprocates!), Erica catcalls and Danny whistles but it’s not that bad.

Derek gets the worst part of it. After the daily morning meeting, the sheriff asks to talk to Derek and when Derek comes out of the sheriff’s office his ears have turned into a quite startling shade of red. Luckily for Derek, the only ones still left in the office are Stiles, Danny and Isaac.

“Your dad just asked me to keep the hickeys underneath your collar,” he hisses at Stiles.

Stiles, being the bad boyfriend he is, laughs out loud.

“Let’s go,” Derek huffs and grabs Isaac by the neck to drag him outside.

Stiles follows them with his gaze – he is allowed to openly ogle Derek’s ass now – before turning to Danny who’s laughing.

“I actually feel bad for Derek,” he says but Stiles just waves his hand dismissively.

“He’ll get over it. I’m just glad dad didn’t threaten him with his gun.”

“Who says I didn’t?” the sheriff calls from his office and Stiles chooses to believe that his dad was joking.

 

By June Stiles and Derek have made a routine of their days. They take walks and train the dogs and hang out with their friends together or separately. They fight – god, do they fight! – and Stiles screams and Derek glares and walks out and when they meet the next time they have great make up sex and Stiles isn’t even able to remember what they were arguing about in the first place.

Pirate seems to grow to love Stiles and Stiles has perhaps grown to love the dog too. Pirate likes everyone but Derek’s the only one who Pirate loves just a tiny bit more than he loves Stiles.

When Stiles grows tired of the dog, which is quite rare though, he can just dump him with whoever he wants in his circle of friends and family; they all adore the Rottweiler and Pirate has no qualms about being left with other people. Isaac, surprisingly, is the one to offer his dog watching services most often and sometimes Stiles leaves Pirate with him more for Isaac’s sake than for himself. When Derek finds Stiles an acceptable dog-handler, Stiles is quite sure Isaac is next in line for training.

Even though Stiles gives Derek great head, Derek complains about Stiles’ dog-handling manners and is seldom pleased (with the dog-handling, that is. Derek is _very_ pleased with Stiles blowing him).

Talia isn’t as easygoing as Pirate and is quite shy. The only persons she handles being left alone without Derek for a whole night are Laura and Stiles. It doesn’t matter if Pirate is there, the one time Derek tried leaving Talia at Isaac’s place Laura had to go there at three in the morning because Talia wouldn’t stop howling. Laura had slept on Isaac’s couch and Talia had slept like a baby on the floor underneath. Pirate and Isaac had shared Isaac’s bed, Laura had later told them. Stiles is secretly pleased to be one of the few that are in Talia’s circle of trust.

Derek isn’t very big on PDA. It’s not that Stiles wants to show off his very hot boyfriend (much) but he kind of wants to just touch sometimes. Nothing big: a hand on a leg or against another hand or a quick kiss. Derek lets him, even though he often rolls his eyes whenever Stiles leans closer.

Kate Argent isn’t forgotten, not really, but she belongs to the past until the day – it’s a Friday – she has been spotted somewhere just north of Portland. They’re not even sure, but the blurry picture from the surveillance camera outside a gas station could be her and it’s enough to keep them on their edge. Derek is rigid the whole day, he doesn’t laugh and there’s a muscle working in his jaw almost all the time. He lets Stiles touch him, though, and he talks, in short sentences, and he doesn’t shut Stiles out completely, which Stiles is immensely grateful for.

“We can skip tonight’s barbeque, if you want to,” Stiles offers quietly at lunch when they meet up at the diner closest to the station.

They sit outside in the shadow of a parasol along with Isaac and Erica who are arguing over ketchup brands and pay no mind to Stiles and Derek. Stiles thinks Isaac and Erica may have missed each other as much as Stiles has missed Derek when they’ve been in separate cars.

Derek shakes his head and sneaks his hand onto Stiles’ knee.

“No, it’ll be fine. I think I need that.”

“Okay,” Stiles says and leans in to steal a kiss and a French fry.

Derek allows him to steal the kiss but pulls away his plate.

“Think you’re clever?” he teases and Stiles grins at him. “Buy your own damn food.”

“Technically,” Isaac cuts in, “that’s my food.”

“Shush you,” Stiles grins at him and kisses Derek’s cheek.

Derek leans a bit against him and Stiles nuzzles Derek’s neck.

“Knock it off, you two, I’m trying to eat,” Erica says but doesn’t seem to really mind.

“Oh, come on, Erica,” Isaac says, “don’t you remember when you and Boyd first met?”

“We were teenagers, that’s different.”

“She’s right,” Derek says and Stiles bites him in his earlobe – it’s right there, what’s he supposed to do?

“You’re supposed to be on my side!” he says in mock-offense.

Derek rolls his eyes but doesn’t push Stiles away.

“’Sides this is just the honeymoon or whatever,” Stiles continues, “soon we’ll be grumpy and never touch.”

“I hope not,” Derek whispers into Stiles’ ear and his hand sneaks higher up Stiles’ thigh suggestively.

“Don’t make me vomit,” Erica warns even though there’s no way she could have heard what Derek’s said. It’s possible she meant Stiles’ expression that had gone kind of blank.

“As long as you’re not like Scott and Allison I don’t care,” Isaac chirps in.

“What about them?” Derek asks.

“They’ve been together since they were sixteen,” Stiles says and Derek’s surprised look at this fact really says everything about Scott and Allison.

“I know,” Stiles nods and plants another kiss on his lips before turning to his food.

The talk turns to work related stuff, as it often tends to do when Stiles hangs out with his colleagues, but they keep it clear from any Kate Argent related talk, which Stiles is grateful for.

Tonight they have decided to meet in the woods at a camp site for grilling hotdogs and marshmallows. Stiles wasn’t sure how the Hale siblings would react to a campfire but when he asked Derek, he had just snorted and rolled his eyes so Stiles guesses he’ll be okay.

The campfire isn’t very big and Boyd, the never-really-off-duty firefighter, keeps it under close watch even though Isaac seems to want to put on more firewood all the time.

Stiles sits close to Derek with his head on Derek’s shoulder and Derek’s arm around him. The air is warm even though the sun is setting and Stiles hasn’t got anything but his own sappy heart to blame for cuddling his boyfriend. Stiles thinks he might be a bit in love, like real-deal in love, not just crushing, and it scares him but Derek’s just… there and Stiles isn’t really that scared anymore when Derek looks at him.

Stiles guesses he should be lucky that he’s working tomorrow morning and hence isn’t drinking as he needs to get up early, if he did drink he’s afraid he would turn in to an even bigger sap and propose to Derek. It’s not so much the proposing to Derek scenario as the Derek saying no scenario that scares him.

God, he’s so gone.

Stiles is the first one to leave at ten and Jackson, of course, complains.

“You’re a wuss, Stilinski.” Derek is a good boyfriend and smacks Jackson in the back of his head as he, too, gets up.

“You’re leaving, too?” Isaac asks but Derek shakes his head.

“Just saying goodbye,” he says and their friends catcalls, as if they’re all teenagers.

The darkness and the fire hides Derek’s blush from the others but not from Stiles, who grins at him.

“Now, kids, behave,” Stiles reprimands them before entangling his fingers with Derek’s as they make their way back to where the cars are parked.

It’s dark but not dark enough so they can’t see. When they reach the jeep Stiles turns to Derek only to find himself being pushed up against the jeep’s door and Derek’s body pressed against his. Derek’s hands are warm under Stiles’ shirt and his lips are a bit dry. Stiles pushes himself against Derek’s body and tugs Derek closer by his hair. Derek pushes his hips against Stiles’ and Derek’s definitely as affected as Stiles is. Stiles moans as Derek’s mouth leaves his to kiss his neck. Derek has held his promise to the sheriff; Stiles just hopes his dad won’t see him without his shirt anytime soon.

“Oh, Derek,” Stiles moans as Derek’s fingers find his left nipple and pinches as he grinds his hips into Stiles’.

Stiles leans back against the car as he spreads his legs, trying to fit Derek into between them. He grabs at Derek’s hard ass and pushes into the other man.

“Yeah,” he mumbles into Derek’s neck, “just like that, I love you so much.”

He tenses as he realizes what he’s said and wants to bang his head against his jeep. How could he be so stupid to-? Derek’s lips are on his, hot and needy and Derek pushes his legs further apart.

“God, Stiles,” he gasps, “I love you, too.”

Okay, maybe Stiles didn’t ruin anything. Stiles pulls him in again and starts to try to tug Derek’s shirt up over his back.

 “Uh, guys, I have to get more soda for Allison and I really don’t want to see you two having sex,” Scott calls out and Derek groans in disappointment but steps away just so they aren’t pressed against each other.

“Cockblock,” Stiles mutters and Derek huffs into his neck.

“Woods aren’t really a good place for sex,” Scott points out and Stiles doesn’t want to know how Scott knows this. “There’s needles and cones and ants.”

“Way to ruin the mood, dude.”

Derek steps away from him completely, but one of his hands is still on Stiles’ arm.

“Sorry, man.” Scott doesn’t sound particularly sorry and moves out into the parking. He’s brought a flashlight and lets it dart over them.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?” Stiles tells Derek and Derek nods.

Stiles swallows hard, wonders if he should pretend that the L-word was said in the throes of passion or…

No, he’s not going to say anything.

“Okay,” he says in lack of any important words, “Scott, take care of Derek now.”

“Sure thing, man!” Scott salutes.

Stiles presses another kiss to Derek’s lips before jumping into his car. Before he has time to turn on the engine Derek knocks on his window. Stiles rolls it down to look at him questioningly.

”Haven’t you forgotten someone?” he asks, amusement clear in his voice.

“Who?”

Derek whistles and the sound of an animal – a dog – running through the woods and Stiles winces.

“I’m such a bad dog owner!”

Derek laughs at him as he opens the back door to let Pirate in.

“Sorry I forgot you, buddy,” Stiles says and leans back to let Pirate lick his cheek. Stiles doubts Pirate would even notice if Stiles had left him and he had to go home with someone else.

He waves at Derek and Scott as he backs out onto the road. It’s not that long into town, maybe a ten minutes’ drive, and Stiles is thankful for that. There aren’t any buildings out here save from an old, rundown barn. Stiles is almost at the barn when he sees the car on the side of the road. There’s a person there and Stiles frowns as he stops behind it and gets out of his car and closes his door behind him to walk up to the young, dark-haired man who seems to be in anguish.

“Thank you!” the man calls at him, “my car broke down and my cell-phone’s dead. I haven’t seen a single car since I stopped.”

“No, this road isn’t really used that much,” Stiles says and then everything turns black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh, duh! 
> 
> I needed the cliffie, so sue me. (Please, don't). You can find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/) if you wanna come say hi.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my wonderful beta. I would also like to send a huge thanks to [Monica](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bookgodess15) for helping me with the anatomy of the human body and such, so I can theoretically beat the crap out of someone without killing them.
> 
> That said, this chapter is quite violent and there is death (canonical).

Stiles slowly wakes up to find his hands tied to something behind his back. His head hurts and he thinks someone must have hit him pretty hard.

“Pirate!” he chokes as he realized that the man probably wasn’t alone and that they were probably robbers. If something has happened to his dog…

Stiles blinks away the fog to see a tall, blonde woman and the man who stopped him, stand in the light of a lantern. They’re inside a barn, probably the one beside the road. It’s empty save from the people. He recognizes the woman, he realizes. Not from real life though, but from photographs taken when she was brought in for custody.

“Kate Argent,” he says and the woman smiles coldly at him.

“Well done, deputy Stilinski,” she says. “Has Derek told you about me?”

“Not really, no,” Stiles says, he doesn’t want to give her that satisfaction. “I’m a cop,” he offers as explanation for knowing who she is.

Kate purses her lips, annoyed, and Stiles takes that as a small victory, he doesn’t really want to please a criminal. He has no idea what he is doing here but he guesses he’ll soon find out. The fact that Kate knows his name makes him certain she didn’t just grab the first person who passed outside on the road.

“You know,” Kate muses, “I really don’t like you.”

This kind of proves Stiles’ earlier thoughts.

“The feeling’s pretty damn mutual.”

“I don’t like you touching my man.”

Stiles refrains from laughing out loud at that.

“He’s not your man,” he bits out at her. “You’re a crazy bitch.”

Kate smiles at him, almost sweetly.

“Oh, honey, haven’t you heard? I’m not.”

Stiles has read her file, he knows the doctors didn’t find anything that made her a case for forensics psychiatry, but still…

“I’ve seen crazy,” he says, even though he probably shouldn’t taunt her, but this isn’t about him being a cop, this is personal, “and you,” he would love to make some hand motions but as his hands are tied behind his back he settles for make a face at her, “cuh-razy.”

Kate’s smile disappears and she bends down to pick up a board from the ground. She hits him straight on his shoulder and he thinks that it might dislocate or break. His hands are tied against something very solid, perhaps an iron pipe and there’s no way he’s going to be able to pull himself free from it. He tries anyway, before the second beat knocks the wind out of his lungs and he falls to his side, gasping for breath.

“Who’s the bitch now, huh?” Kate says and throws in a kick in his stomach for good measure.

“Yeah?” Stiles asks after some moments of finding his breath again, “one of us is at least Derek’s bitch and it sure ain’t you.”

Kate lets out an aggravated scream and kicks him over and over again. Stiles drags his knees up to his chest, the only way he can try to protect himself against the kicks, but it hurts like hell and he guesses it’s not really working.

Suddenly the pain stops and Stiles dares to open his eyes, unaware that he closed them in the first place. Kate huffs out a breath and pulls her hair from her face. She walks over to the man who still stands by the lantern.

“Leave Derek alone and I will let you live,” she says as she turns to look at Stiles again.

“You think he’ll take you back?” Stiles asks, “after everything you’ve done?”

“If he likes you enough, he will,” she says and Stiles swears he is going to have a serious discussion with the doctors that declared her mentally well.

“You’re going to blackmail him into being with you? Man, that really sounds like the basics for a healthy relationship.”

Kate shrugs, seemingly quite uninterested in his opinion on the matter.

“Leave Derek alone and I’ll let you leave,” she states again and Stiles knows he could lie, knows he probably _should_ lie if just to survive the circumstances.

“Dude, if you think I’m gonna leave him you really are crazy,” he tells her truthfully, and the rage on Kate’s face makes him think maybe that was the right thing to say until she motions at the man, who walks over to Stiles. He kneels next to Stiles and Stiles tries to sit up to head-butt him, he’s close enough, but before he manages to sit up there’s an excruciating pain in his left thigh and Stiles screams out in pain as it feels as if his leg is torn off.

Suddenly there’s barking and growling and when Stiles manages to focus and open his eyes he sees Pirate in front of him. His stance is low and his hackles are raised. A low growl emerges from the Rottweiler, much deeper and scarier than any growl Stiles has ever heard Pirate make before. Pirate growls when play-fighting with both humans and other dogs, but this isn’t playing. This is a lethal warning.

The man lies a few feet away from them, his face bloody and he holds his arm close to his body. Stiles can see something wet glistening on his arm and his best guess is that it’s blood. He wonders just how badly hurt the man is, but he can’t find it in himself to feel sorry for him. Kate takes a step closer and Pirate barks in warning and she scrambles backwards. The man shuffles backwards too, perhaps afraid the dog will attack again. Pirate, though, seems to want to stay close to Stiles. He backs closer and stops as his hind-leg comes in contact with Stiles’ knees. He keeps growling, but not as loud.

“How the fuck did that monster get out of the car?” Kate swears.

“Maybe someone drove past and opened the door?” There’s a sarcastic, dangerous tone to the voice that belongs to a man dressed in a black suit. He looks directly at Kate and she flinches slightly before smoothing her features into a smirk. “If you had any idea how long I’ve been searching for you,” he says as he bends down to pick up the bloody knife the man has dropped somewhere between where he’s lying and Stiles.

“Good evening, mister Hale,” Kate greets, but the man doesn’t seem impressed with her antics. Stiles wonders how this man is related to Derek, there is no way this man with the same last name as Derek is anything but a relative.

“That night,” the man says, “you killed my daughter. My only child. The only memory I had of my wife. You burnt her to death. I feel that prison isn’t enough for a person like you. And when I heard you escaped I knew I had to find you.”

The man – Peter Hale, Stiles’ brain submits helpfully – advances slowly towards Kate through his speech. The man who stopped Stiles, Kate’s lackey, half-crawls out of the barn, but Stiles’ attention is directed at Peter and Kate.

“I’m sorry,” Kate says and backs away from Peter, her foot just beside the lantern and Stiles wants to warn her – more for the sake of his own life than hers, though.

“You don’t sound very sincere,” Peter says, and then it all happens very quickly. Peter moves towards her and just slits her throat. She makes a gurgling sound and drops down onto the ground. Her foot hits the lantern, which tips and the hay catches fire. There’s not much hay there, it’s just basically covering the ground.

“Pirate, out,” Stiles says and tries to nudge the dog with his uninjured leg, but it causes pain to rush through his body and he groans in pain.

Peter turns towards Stiles, as if realizing he’s there for the first time. He walks closer to them, making Pirate growl louder.

“Please, get my dog out of here,” Stiles says and Peter is just a feet away from Pirate, who barks and snaps in the air.

“Sorry, kid, that dog of yours is vicious.”

He turns and disappears out.

“Don’t go,” Stiles cries after him but he knows there’s no use. “Pirate, go. After him. Attack! Please, Pirate, go.”

Pirate seems to feel Stiles’ distress and now there’s no other living creatures in the barn he turns towards Stiles and licks at his face.

“You did great, buddy,” Stiles says, “but you have to leave.”

More of the hay starts to burn and Stiles can feel the heat from it. The air is quickly thickening with smoke. It burns in Stiles’ eyes, making them water and hard to keep opened. 

Stiles is starting to feel dizzy and it feels as if he’s not really inside his own body. He still manages to sit up and tries to push Pirate away with his body and legs but Pirate just moves out of line from Stiles’ feeble attempts of shoving. His leg is bleeding and he knows he need to put pressure on it, but his hands are tied behind his back.

“Go,” he groans at his dog. “You stupid dog! Go! Leave!”

As if in a dream Stiles sees the fire reaching the wall of other side of the barn and Stiles knows it’s only a matter of time before it has burnt around the walls to where he and Pirate are. He suddenly hears voices and starts screaming for them.

“There’s someone in here- Stiles!”

He’s never been so happy to see Isaac ever before. Isaac hurries forward but stops as Pirate rounds against him and growls, hackles raised once again.

“I’m cuffed- I’m cuffed to something,” Stiles explains and he is surprised at how calm he sounds, his heart is beating madly in his chest.

Isaac nods and moves a bit closer, the neck of his shirt is pulled up over his mouth and nose.

“Good dog,” he says even though Pirate growls louder.

“Pirate, back up,” Stiles orders his dog, but Pirate doesn’t move.

Isaac hunches down, creeping closer slowly, his gaze lowered.

“Good dog,” he murmurs and Pirate growls but lets Isaac pat his head gently.

Isaac moves slowly around Pirate and closer to Stiles. Pirate growls louder, as a warning, but he doesn’t attack and Stiles sees that as a good sign. Isaac is almost beside Stiles and he’s just about to put his arm on Stiles’ when Pirate snaps his jaws at Isaac who scrambles away. Pirate is back to growling menacingly. Isaac stares at Stiles, panic clear in his eyes.

“Get him out of here,” Stiles pleads and Isaac tries to move closer again but Pirate doesn’t let him come close once again.

“I have my gun in the car,” Isaac begins but Stiles interrupts him.

“No! You’re not shooting him.”

“Stiles, he won’t let me close, you’re going to die,” Isaac tries to reason.

“I don’t care! If you shoot him I’ll kill you, you hear me? I’ll fucking kill you!”

Isaac stares at him and Stiles glares back.

“Get him out,” Stiles grinds out and now the pain is beginning to make itself known again. “Please, Isaac, get him out.”

“I can’t…” Isaac says and Stiles has a hard time getting air into his lungs, he doesn’t know if there’s some internal damage or the smoke.

“Yes, you can, Isaac. Save Pirate. Please,” Stiles wheezes.  He feels as if he’s losing time and his head is spinning. He’s starting to feel cold despite the fire that should make him feel warm. Or should it?

There’s some more screaming outside and Isaac talks to him, but Stiles can’t really focus on what he’s saying. Pirate keeps whimpering and sometimes growling whenever Isaac tries to get closer to them.

“Pirate, back up.”

The order is direct and Stiles opens his eyes to see Pirate whining but doing as he has been ordered. The next moment Derek is crouching down in front of him.  Stiles doesn’t know if he has passed out, because Derek is beautiful, even though he is frowning, and he has a glow behind him, kind of like a halo.

“Don’t kill Pirate,” Stiles tells him, at least he thinks he says it out loud.

“I won’t,” Derek promises, but he sounds worried. Stiles doesn’t want Derek to be worried. Pirate is growling and whining and then Stiles is flying and it feels very good. He feels so tired and he thinks that maybe it’s a good idea to nap. It gets darker, and Stiles knows it’s because he’s so tired, but it’s not just that. It’s the halo behind Derek that has somehow grown smaller. It’s colder, too. So very, very cold.

There are stars above him, twinkling, right in front of him and he is so, _so_ tired. Napping sounds like a good idea.

Stiles hears his mom’s voice and yeah, it’s a great idea to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you who thought it was Kate were right. And those of you who thought it was a good thing Pirate was still there was right, too. Someone wished for bamf!derek and bamf!stiles but the only bamf here is Pirate. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.
> 
> You can always come say hi on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). I take prompts for drabbles at the moment, check out [ this tag](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/tagged/ask-me)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my wonderful beta.

Stiles has been to a hospital enough times to realize that he is in one. The walls are in some light yellow color and no one should ever paint that color in their own home, Stiles thinks. His head feels fuzzy, as if he’s not really awake. The bed he’s in is so soft and comfortable. He’s lying in a cocoon of softness. He sees his dad by the bed’s side, but before he manages to talk to him he falls back into sleep.

 

Stiles has been to a hospital enough times to realize that he is in one. The walls are in some light yellow color and no one should ever paint that color in their own home, Stiles thinks.

“Stiles,” someone says, “you’re in a hospital.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Stiles wants to say because he knows that, but he can’t really form the words, they sound sluggish and the world feels fuzzy. He can’t remember ever feeling like this before. It feels quite comfortable actually. The bed is soft and his body feels so heavy. He thinks he might take a nap.

 

Stiles has been to a hospital enough times to realize that he is in one. The walls are in some light yellow color and no one should ever paint that color in their own home, Stiles thinks.

“Stiles, do you remember me?” someone says and no, Stiles has never seen the dude before. _Oh, fuck_ , did he get drunk and follow some dude home again? No, Stiles doesn’t do that anymore because Stiles has Derek. Right?

“D’rek?” His voice isn’t working properly, it sounds sluggish and raw. He’s not even sure any sound came out.

Derek’s face swims into focus in front of Stiles.

“You’re pretty,” Stiles says because Derek is. Derek looks worried though and Stiles doesn’t like that look on him. He tries to reach out his hand to smooth down the frown Derek’s wearing, but he can’t really manage. He’s so tired, he blinks and then forgets to open his eyes again.

 

Stiles has been to a hospital enough times to realize that he is in one. The walls are in some light yellow color and no one should ever paint that color in their own home, Stiles thinks. His body feels heavy and exhausted. He’s a bit nauseated and he has a weird taste in his mouth.

There’s suddenly rustling next to Stiles’ bed and Stiles hadn’t even thought of looking around, but then there’s a face right in front of his face, way too close for him to focus and a hand is gently cradling his cheek. He recognizes the hazel green eyes and the stubble. Stiles stares back at Derek.

“You’re awake,” Derek sighs and he seems afraid of touching Stiles.

“Yeah,” Stiles croaks because his voice isn’t really working as it usually does. Derek leans his forehead against the mattress next to Stiles and he shakes a bit and Stiles’ first thought is that Derek is trying to repress laughter. Stiles gets that people can be relieved when their boyfriends wake up in a hospital, but Stiles does, however, think that laughing is taking the relieved thing a bit too long. Until a sound escapes Derek and Stiles realizes that Derek isn’t laughing at all. He’s crying.

And that feels even worse.

“I’m okay, Derek,” he says and pats Derek’s head awkwardly, an IV-needle pulls slightly at his hand.

“I know,” Derek says and when he finally raises his head his eyes are filled with tears and he looks just so broken.

“I’m sorry I had you worried,” Stiles says and he ponders on what more to say when his dad steps into his line of vision.

The Sheriff’s shoulders seem to sag and then he’s next to Derek his hand just barely touching Stiles’.

“You’re awake,” The Sheriff repeats Derek’s previous words and Stiles begins to wonder what the fuck has happened that made them all so relieved he’s awake. “Thank god, you’re awake.”

Derek moves quickly out of the chair and the Sheriff who more or less collapses in it, his hand grasping Stiles’ right hand gently, as if he’s afraid to hurt his son. And then his eyes tear up too.

“Oh, come on,” Stiles says, two grown-up men crying at his bedside in just a few minutes is too much for Stiles to handle, even more so because he himself feels like crying. Derek’s hand is on the Sheriff’s shoulder and Stiles wondered when Derek got so comfortable around his dad. He wonders what else he has missed.

He doesn’t understand why he is in a hospital. He remembers eating marshmallows that Jackson had handed him.

“Did Jackson drug me?” he asks because that’s the only logical explanation he can find to his current sluggishness.

“No-” His dad chokes on the word and leans his head against the mattress by Stiles’ side.

“Dad, please, don’t cry.” Stiles pats his dad’s head because that’s only thing he can reach. Stiles hasn’t seen John cry since that day in the hospital when Stiles’ mom wouldn’t wake up again. He hates being the one to make John cry again. “What happened? I-”

He remembers then, suddenly, that Jackson had nothing to do with it. There was a fire and pain and a woman – Kate Argent. And Pirate!

“Pirate!” Stiles tries to sit up but Derek’s suddenly there to push his shoulders down, not that it takes that much power and Stiles isn’t even sure he could get out of the bed even if Derek didn’t hold him down. Stiles’ heart is beating like mad, he needs to make sure Pirate is okay. Why isn’t Pirate there with him if he’s still alive? “Isaac was going to shoot him. I’ll kill him, I’ll kill Isaac if he so much as-”

“Stiles! Stiles, calm down,” Derek says sternly, face just a few inches from Stiles’. “Pirate’s okay. He’s okay, alright?”

“You sure?” Stiles asks and there’s something wet on his face. He realizes when Derek wipes at his cheeks that he is crying.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Derek says and helps him lay down on the bed again. “He’s with Laura and Talia. He’s okay.”

Stiles nods and feels exhaustion pull at his whole body. He notices also that his leg hurts quite a lot.

“Sleep,” Derek tells him and caresses his forehead, “I’ll be right here when you wake up again.”

Derek is quite smart, Stiles agrees silently, sleep seems like a wonderful idea.

 

At last Stiles actually wakes up properly and the dude – a nurse – tells him that he has suffered severe blood loss because of the stab wound in his leg. He’s been stitched up and it’ll hurt for quite some time and the muscles need to heal, but he’s fine otherwise. Stiles doesn’t feel fine though. He feels as if he’s been drugged and realizes he’s probably been given narcotic analgesics and that his drugged theory isn’t that far from the truth.

He might feel better if it wasn’t for the constant nagging of his father and boyfriend. Stiles is ready to sell them both off craigslist if they don’t stop. Stiles has to follow the doctor’s orders and Stiles has to do this and that – and God forbid that Stiles should eat any of the candy his friends and colleagues bring him. The candy Scott brings is the only that get past both John and Derek and Stiles knows it’s only due to all the hard work he and Scott have put on in their childhood to keep things from the Sheriff. The only reason Talia isn’t sniffing everyone on Derek’s order is because she’s not allowed into the hospital.

Scott cries when he sees Stiles in the bed. He carries a soft, white bunny and Stiles thinks Scott might have bought it in the hospital shop and that it’s actually for new-born babies (and this is not just for the text _it’s a boy!_ printed on the bunny’s blue shirt). The bunny gets squished between them as Scott almost smothers Stiles.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” he sobs into Stiles’ shoulder whilst Allison pats Scott on his leg and it seems kind of patronizing to Stiles, but Scott is too busy rubbing snot all over his hospital shirt to notice. “I would hate to name my kid Stiles. _Stiles_! Can you imagine? I’m so glad I don’t have to name my kid that. I want my kid to be a bit more popular than we were – I love you, man, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think your name helped.”

“I don’t think your face helped,” Stiles counters, feeling a bit hurt because of the lash-out at his name. Stiles stops patting Scott’s back and frowns at Allison who shrugs and smiles slightly at him.

“I’m sorry, Stiles, I didn’t… I just… If you had died…” Scott stops, sniffles a bit and then gets a grip and manages to continue, “If you’d died I’d have to name my kid after you, you know that, and I don’t want that. I want you, not just your name.”

Stiles isn’t quite sure he’s following Scott’s train of thoughts, Scott might have been sniffing the disinfectants again.

“I love you, man.” Scott quickly looks at Derek and rushes to explain: “I mean, like a brother, in a totally platonic way.”

Derek merely rolls his eyes from his chair in the corner. Yes, _his_ chair, because the dude hasn’t really moved since Stiles had woken up completely and promised his boyfriend and father that he was fine.

“Uh, thanks, dude,” Stiles says; he thinks that’s what he is expected to say.  Scott beams at him so he guesses that was the right thing. “So how come you’re thinking of your kid when I’m almost died?”

Scott looks torn, as if he can’t decide if he should chastise Stiles for joking about almost dying – even though Stiles really wasn’t in any danger of dying, unless Pirate hadn’t been there, that is – or if he should continue talk about his future kid. Allison decides for him.

“We’re having a baby!” she practically squeals and they both look so happy.

“Oh, my god!” Stiles exclaims because wow! “A baby? What-? How-? When-?”

“How? That’s what you’re going with?” Derek rolls his eyes at him, as if his eyebrows weren’t judging Stiles enough. Stiles makes a face at him before turning to his best friend and his wife.

“Okay, forget how,” Stiles tells Scott and Allison, “When?”

He knows Scott would have told him if they were trying to have a baby so he doesn’t ask that question.

“It’s still pretty early,” Allison tells him seriously, “we didn’t want to tell people just yet, you know, in case something goes wrong.”

“It won’t,” Stiles tells them even if he knows that there is no way to be sure. Allison smiles at him, a small secret smile which is just a bit different for her usual smile. It’s probably true what they say, Stiles thinks, pregnant people really do glow.

“It’s due at the beginning of February,” Allison says, “please, don’t tell the others, okay?”

“Scout’s honor,” Stiles places his hand on his heart and Derek rolls his eyes at him.

“You never were a scout,” John tells him from _his_ chair in the corner opposite from Derek’s.

“Oh, shut up,” Stiles says, “I can still be honorable.”

There are snorts from both corners and Stiles exchanges exasperated looks with Scott, who seem to understand him completely. Scott’s the best.

“I wanna be godfather,” Stiles tells them, “and not just so I can say _I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse_.”

“Of course,” Scott nods seriously, because even though he probably doesn’t even know the quote he’s awesome and he’ll make Stiles the baby’s godfather.

“Lydia will be godmother,” Allison tells him.

“You told Lydia?!” Stiles practically screams and makes his own head hurt. Allison hurries to soothe him.

“No, but she’ll demand to be godmother when we tell her.”

Stiles nods and glares slightly at Scott, but glaring only makes his headache worse so he stops with a few words of warning, “be glad you didn’t tell Lydia before you told me.”

Scott nods with a serious face, maybe he’ll be a good father after all. Or well, Scott will be an awesome father when it comes to sports, videogames and animals and _funny_ things, but maybe not so much the stern faces and grounding and such. Allison will probably have to deal with that part.

Stiles is going to be an uncle. He can barely even feel the pain from his stab wound anymore.

 

The pain in Stiles’ leg is killing him, he’s thinking of pressing the alarm button to get a nurse there but they’ll only tell him to suck it up (are nurses even allowed to say that to a patient? Stiles is so not going to tip them when he leaves?) (Maybe he’s not even supposed to tip them?)

Being in a hospital sucks. Not just because it means Stiles is hurt but because it’s so fucking boring. Derek is always at Stiles’ side, offering him a glass of water, fluffing his pillows or helping him sit up. The first three times it was cute, now it’s just annoying.  He wishes his dad and Derek had somewhere else to be sometimes so he could get away from them to buy candy or something by the vending machine out in the corridor, but they keep him under closer observation than the nurses.

John and Derek worships the very ground the doctors and nurses walk on – this worshiping manners even included the janitor, much to Stiles’ embarrassment, who came to fix a lamp, as his dad went on and on about the importance of the janitor’s job.

Stiles tries to indulge Derek in some fun time to keep his mind off the pain and the heavy feeling in his body, but every time Stiles deepens a kiss or lets his hands wander down Derek’s shoulders, Derek backs away.

“Not until you’re properly healed,” he says and Stiles whines.

“Come on, Derek,” he tries, “just a quick hand job?”

Derek glares at him.

“Not until you’re properly healed and not as long as we have an audience.”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” nurse Helen says from the door – Stiles hadn’t even noticed her coming into the room.

“See?” Stiles says, even though he’s not really in to voyeurism (he’s not even sure it’s voyeurism if he’s the one participating).

“No,” Derek just says and leans back.

Stiles sighs loudly and leans back against his pillows. He guesses he should be happy Derek is still by his side at all, he hasn’t washed in days, his hair is greasy and he probably stinks. Well, if the disinfectants don’t cover the smell of body odor.

“I’m just so damn bored.”

“I know,” Derek says and hands Stiles an old comic book about some superhero Stiles hasn’t even heard of, Derek has probably found it in some waiting room. Stiles hopes he hasn’t stolen it from some other patient or a patient’s family.

 

On the third day Stiles finally get to leave. It’s a Monday and Stiles expects people to be at work. Instead almost everyone (and it really is everyone, all of his friends and almost the whole police force) have gathered in John’s backyard. Stiles is in a black pair of sweat pants and a grey tee that he’s been wearing since yesterday and really doesn’t want anyone that hasn’t sworn confidentiality to see him, but hey, balloons! A banner is hanging between two trees with the words _Welcome home_ , as if Stiles is some war hero.

Derek helps him to sit in a chair and then there are so many hugs, from left, right and center and Stiles hopes Derek’s the one sneaking in a hand under his shirt. He’s given candy that his dad confiscates faster than anyone can say “get well”.

Suddenly there’s a whining sound that Stiles knows too well and then Pirate rushes forward, Laura hanging like a ragdoll at the other end of the leash. Pirate whines and licks every part of Stiles he can reach without jumping into the chair. Pirate’s tail is wagging so hard his whole body is wagging.

“Hey, buddy,” Stiles says and scratches the dog’s ears and kisses his head and get sloppy kisses in return and the tears that Stiles had managed to keep in when he saw his friends is now let loose.

“You were so brave,” he coos into Pirate’s ear, “you’re such a good dog. Oh, yes, you are.”

He cries some more into Allison’s belly, even though there’s not even a sign of a bump. Allison laughs and cries some too as she pets his hair.

Pirate doesn’t let Stiles out of his sight for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter and an epilogue left. As always, you'll find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> I would also like to thank [Monica](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bookgodess15) for helping me with the facts about Stiles' injury, treatment and such.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my beta as usual. All remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> A while ago I got an anon ask on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/) asking for bottom!Derek. I wasn't planning on it at that time, but ask and you shall receive...
> 
> Kazuya Mishima is a character from the game Tekken because I think I'm funny.
> 
> There's an epilogue left now, even if the chapter count thingy says otherwise (I change it every goddamn time I upload a chapter, but it still doesn't know how many chapters this story will have...)

There are a lot of things happening after Stiles is released from the hospital. He talks to the police, he talks to lawyers and he talks to basically everyone except his friends.

Peter Hale hasn’t been found and Stiles suspects he has left the country, but feels he can’t be bothered. Derek and Laura have a mutual friend called Kazuya Mishima on Facebook. This Kazuya character has no other friends and Stiles didn’t even need to look the name up to know it’s fake. Someone called 911 that night, before Isaac and Boyd got to the scene, and Stiles is quite certain it was Peter. He lets Kazuya Mishima be. He notices how the man likes, but never comments, on the pictures and statuses Laura uploads on Facebook – Derek never uploads anything, though he didn’t decline being in a relationship with Stiles Stilinski.

When Stiles finally meets his friends outside of work it’s a very warm day, his leg is itching but he can walk on it (admittedly with a limp that you mostly see on very old men, but still). They are all gathered in the park, sat on blankets in the shade of a large oak-tree. Boyd and Scott is throwing a Frisbee between them, making Pirate run to and fro between them, laughing like crazy when the dog just misses the Frisbee when he jumps high into the air. Stiles had left Pirate with Derek before going to work. Talia is lying on her side in the grass a few feet away from them and Stiles guesses she has been playing with them earlier, but gotten bored.

“Hey, baby!” Stiles coos at Allison’s belly and plops down on the blanket on the ground between Allison and Derek. He kisses the barely visible bulge as Allison laughs and pushes his head away.

“I thought you were talking to Derek,” Laura comments from beside Allison.

Derek shrugs, “he never calls me baby.”

“I did last night,” Stiles reminds him with an exaggerated wink and Derek ducks his head and the tip of his ears turn red; Stiles’ exact words had been _yeah, baby, just… fuck, just like that_ with his cock in Derek’s mouth. He smiles fondly at the memory.

“How can you be prude when you’re with Stilinski?” Jackson scoffs from where he is half-lying next to Derek onto another blanket.

“And when you’re related to Laura,” Isaac agrees from beside him and Laura laughs.

“He got all our prudishness,” Stiles says and worms over to Derek’s side. “Hey, baby!” he coos and makes kissy faces at Derek who rolls his eyes and pushes his face away, but when he lowers his hand he entwines their fingers.  Stiles smiles broadly.

Lydia and Erica choose that moment to arrive with two large baskets with food and wine that the others happily dig in to.

After Stiles has stuffed himself full he lays his head in Derek’s lap and ignores the cooing from Erica and Isaac. He almost (though not really) died one and a half week ago, he’s allowed some romance. Derek rolls his eyes, but doesn’t push him away. Scott, Boyd and Isaac get up from the blanket and start throwing the Frisbee again. Pirate is more than happy to play with them.

The incident with Kate and her lackey, a local called Matt Daehler who earlier had quite the record with robberies and assaults, hadn’t left Pirate un-scarred either. He was fine physically, but he had had a hard time trusting anyone except for Derek and Laura, especially before Stiles got out of the hospital. Now though, he can play with all of them, but he is still reserved against strangers, especially before Stiles has approved of them.

Derek’s fingers start stroking his hair. Stiles hasn’t bothered to buzz it short like he usually does so it starting to get longer. Derek’s fingers trail occasionally down his neck, as they watch Pirate and the men play. Stiles might have a neck kink, especially when it comes to what things Derek can do to Stiles’ neck. He shudders and smiles up at Derek, who gives him a small smile in return.

“I think I actually did die and came to heaven,” Stiles muses and Derek snorts.

“Stilinski, if you had died, you wouldn’t go to heaven, trust me,” Jackson throws at him and Stiles is too content to even reply. Derek’s smile doesn’t really disappear as he looks at the Rottweiler chasing the Frisbee like a madman. Stiles’ heart stutters and he knows very well what feeling causes that kind of reaction.

“I love you,” Stiles whispers, low so none of the others (especially not Jackson) will hear him. Maybe the first time he says it to Derek when they’re not having sex should at least be when they’re alone, but he can’t really keep the words in at the moment.

Derek looks down at him, frowning slightly, and his green-hazel eyes search his. They seem to find what they search for, Derek’s frown lessens and his smile returns.

“I love you, too,” he whispers, not as low as Stiles did though and Stiles’ heart stutters even more. Derek leans down and kisses him softly, half upside down. It’s perfect.

“Get a bucket, I’m gonna throw up!” Jackson yells and Derek laughs against Stiles’ lips, leaving another kiss and then sitting up straighter again.  
“Pirate,” he calls and gets the dog’s attention immediately (of course he does, Stiles’ dog is as far gone as Stiles is on the man). “Kiss Jackson!”

Pirate happily obliges and Stiles laughs as Jackson screams something about Armani and restraining orders.

 

Stiles rides with Derek from the park whilst Laura takes his car as she’s coming by the next day.  The dogs follow them from the car and into the apartment, none of them having their leashes on. Pirate is unusually subdued and Stiles thinks the dog’s energy might just have run out, for the first time since Stiles got him. Once inside both dogs walk to their respective mattresses and lay down, having realized that they’ll probably be banned from the bedroom anyway.

“You love me,” Stiles sing-songs and lowers his eyelids in what he thinks is a seductive manner when he has gotten his jacket off.

“Yeah, don’t know why, but I do,” Derek smiles and oh, god _his smile!_

Derek wraps his arms around Stiles’ waist and pulls him closer to press their lips together. Stiles sighs into the kiss and opens his mouth a bit wider to invite Derek’s tongue inside. The kiss is slow and hot and might make Stiles’ knees weak, but it could just be the alcohol he has been drinking. Derek trails open-mouthed kisses down Stiles’ jaw and throat and Stiles leans his head to the side to give Derek better access. Stiles shudders and may whimper a bit weakly.

“Come on,” Derek says and takes his hand to lead him into the bedroom.

Once they are out of their shirts and pants and lay down on the bed, Stiles thinks the really good part is about to start, Derek though moves away and lies on his back. Stiles moves after him and kisses him.

“Stiles,” Derek says and tries to grab onto Stiles’ hair to get him to stop trailing kisses down his chest. The hair pulling isn’t really discouraging though and Stiles thinks he might not buzz it off anymore. “Can we talk?”

Those words, however, is not encouraging.

Stiles leans back and frowns at him.

“Talk? You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”

Derek gives him the blank stare with the slightly raised eyebrows, the right one a bit higher than the left, and it means _Stiles, you’re an idiot_ in the language of Derek’s eyebrows.

“I just told you I loved you,” Derek deadpans.

“Loved?”

“Love, okay? I just- I want to talk to you.”

“About what? Last time I checked, dudes couldn’t get pregnant- Oh, god, you’ve got aids, that’s it, right?”

“What.” It’s not even a question mark at the end, which is another way of saying _Stiles, you’re an idiot_ in one of the many languages of Derek, but Stiles is too riled up because Derek’s got aids and now Stiles probably has it too and they’re going to die...

“I know I should have done what they told us in sex ed in high school, but you know, I like sex so much better without a condom and you said you were clean,” Stiles rambles and Derek puts a finger on Stiles’ lips to shut him up.

“I am! Would you just shut up and listen to me? It’s not something bad.”

“Then what is it? If it’s not something bad can’t it wait till after we’ve had sex?”

Derek rolls his eyes, but doesn’t protest so Stiles leans closer and kisses him again.

“I would-” Derek breaks off as Stiles grabs at his half-hard cock through his boxers. He leans down and flicks his tongue against Derek’s left nipple, making a groan come out of Derek and smirks. Derek might know Stiles’ weaknesses but Stiles has sure as hell learned some of Derek’s as well. He loves feeling Derek underneath him, feeling Derek push his body against Stiles’ mouth, thinking that Stiles doesn’t give him enough. He bites the nub and sucks a bit on it before moving to the other side, giving that nipple the same treatment as he rubs Derek’ rapidly growing cock through his underwear. Derek is panting above him, his fingers clenching and unclenching in the sheets as his hips tries to thrust his groin against Stiles’ hand. It’s not nearly enough for release though. Stiles moves down the bed gracelessly and licks at Derek’s ribs, not too far out on the side though because he doesn’t want Derek to hit him in the face because it tickles.

Derek’s left hand leaves the sheet to touch Stiles’ head, his fingers tugging slightly on the hairs and seems to try to push Stiles lower, but at the same time just tugging at his hair so he’ll stay where he is, as if Derek can’t really decide what he wants. Stiles takes his time going lower, leaving nips and licks over Derek’s abs. When he looks down he sees Derek’s cock straining against his boxer briefs, a dark spot forming at the head.

“Take them off,” Derek tries to order him, but really, Derek’s orders in bed are more like pleas, Stiles knows it and Derek knows it. Derek ends up pulling his own boxer briefs down before lying on his back again, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded as he looks down at Stiles who is just so close to his cock.

Stiles wonders which path he should take, the slow teasing lick or the hard suck? He settles for the hard suck because that’s what makes Derek go wild. He wills himself not to choke as he pulls Derek’s cock deeper into his mouth and Derek swears. Stiles raises his eyes, leaning his head back a bit and meets Derek’s gaze.

“God, you’re so hot,” Derek whispers and touches Stiles’ cheek. Stiles pulls away slightly and lets Derek feel the head of his cock poking at the inside Stiles’ cheek. Derek moans softly and Stiles sucks him in again. This time when Stiles pulls back, he pulls back completely, giving Derek an angelic smile.

“So, you wanted to talk?”

Derek tries to glare but fails miserably, “we can talk later.” Stiles smirks and licks the tip of Derek’s cock.

“Yeah,” Derek sighs, “later is good. Better even.”

Stiles resumes sucking Derek’s cock, moving his head to get a better angle to suck it in deeper. Derek’s hand caresses his head, sometimes pulling at his strands before letting go. It doesn’t take long before Derek is close to coming. Stiles can tell by the arching of his back and his gasping moans. He moves off Derek’s cock and sucks on two of his own fingers instead. Derek’s eyes are dark and heavy-lidded as he watches Stiles’ mouth. Stiles moves his hand down below Derek’s balls to circle around his hole. Derek grunts and moves his hips against Stiles’ fingers. Stiles slowly pushes one finger inside, just the tip. It’s not slick enough to do more than that so he withdraws his hand and Derek lets out a groan in disappointment.

“Get the lube,” Stiles orders and Derek shuffles towards the side to get the lube from the bedside table’s drawer. He throws the half-empty bottle at Stiles, who doesn’t manage to catch it. He glares at Derek for good measure. Derek ignores him and shoves at him pointedly with his leg, as if to say ‘get on with it’. Stiles reaches for the lube beside him and slicks up his fingers before pressing them against Derek’s hole as he reaches down to take Derek’s cock into his mouth again.  Derek groans, long and breathy, as Stiles pushes a finger inside and hits his prostate right on. Stiles lets go of Derek’s cock, he knows Derek will probably come from that and it’s not the point.

He prepares Derek slowly, watching his own fingers slide in and out of Derek’s ass. He watches how Derek’s cock leaks precome onto his abs, abs that clench as Derek tries to grind Stiles’ fingers harder into him, but Stiles doesn’t let him.

“Is this good, Derek?” he asks and his own voice is thicker than usual. “You like my fingers in your ass, don’t you? You can come just from this, can’t you? Without me touching you?”

Derek groans and clenches around him, which is as much answer Stiles probably will get right now, because Derek isn’t really that vocal during sex, this only make Stiles work harder for making Derek voice his desires, or better yet, moan loudly without even being able to form any other words than Stiles’ name.

“Do you want me to finger you until you come or do you want me to fuck you, huh? Do you want my cock inside you or is it enough with my fingers?”

“Your cock, please,” Derek says and Stiles exhales deeply at Derek’s plea and broken voice. Derek never says please. Well, at least not outside the bedroom or when he’s not in his uniform (because Derek’s nice to random citizens like that). Stiles knows though that there’s nothing Derek wants more than his cock and isn’t that a heady thought?

“Goddammit, Stiles, I’m ready!” Derek swears and practically pulls at Stiles to make him topple over and face plant into Derek’s abs. So maybe Stiles got lost in the sensation of finger-fucking Derek, he hadn’t thought Derek minded.

“I need you in me now,” Derek says as Stiles raises himself on his hands, looking up at Derek with raised eyebrows. Derek looks quite close to crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child and isn’t that an adorable picture? Stiles kneels between Derek’s thighs as he slicks up his cock with more lube before he pushes the tip inside.

“Come here,” Derek mumbles and Stiles complies kind of gracelessly, almost slipping out of Derek as he leans over him, his arms on either side of Derek’s head. Derek brings their lips together and his legs around Stiles’ waist, pulling him closer. Stiles pushes slowly until he’s all inside of Derek.

“Hi,” he whispers against Derek’s lips, “you feel really good, you know.”

“You feel good,” Derek counters and rolls his hips as much he can manage.  Stiles hums and starts to move slowly, the tightness around his cock just this side of not too much. He’s not patient though so soon he starts thrusting faster and Derek starts moaning, a proof if any that Derek really is enjoying himself.

“You’re so hot and tight,” Stiles mumbles against Derek’s throat, “I love fucking you. I love pushing my cock into you- Yeah, like this. Just. Like. This.” He punctuates the last words with thrusts of his hips and Derek whimpers and claws at his back, arching against Stiles’ body.

“Tell me you want this, Derek, please, tell me how much-”

“I want you so much, Stiles,” Derek groans and their lips meet in not-really a kiss but more just pressing of mouths. “Fuck me, Stiles. Harder.”

And yeah, it doesn’t take much more than a few more, hard thrusts and Derek’s words until Stiles is coming.

“Shit,” he swears because he had sworn to himself that Derek would be the one to come first tonight. He feels his cock pulse into Derek’s ass as his body spasms with the pleasure of his orgasm. Derek moves his hand in between them and starts jerking off furiously as he moves his hips. Stiles’ cock is almost too sensitive to handle the movement of Derek’s hips, but before he can pull out he feels Derek clenching around him and moans loudly as he spills over their stomachs and his own hand.

“You’re the best, I love you,” Stiles whispers and presses a kiss to Derek’s lips before pulling out and crawling off Derek. He finds the packet of paper towels they have in the bedside drawer especially for these kinds of occasions.

When Stiles deems them clean enough he rearranges them so he’s on his back with Derek’s head on his chest. He combs his fingers through Derek’s sweaty hair and Derek sighs contentedly.

“So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

“You mean that thing where you started screaming about STIs?”

Stiles hums affirmatively and ignores the jibe at the fact that he may have jumped to conclusions and over-reacted.

“I was just thinking,” Derek begins and then he’s silent for a while. His fingers that have been caressing Stiles’ arms are still and his body is suddenly tense.

“Dude, you okay?”

Derek raises himself onto his elbows on either side of Stiles’ body, his green-hazel eyes searching Stiles’ and Stiles knows the look on Derek’s face even if he doesn’t think he’s ever seen it before.

“I love you, Stiles,” Derek begins and his eyes flicker away from Stiles’. Stiles’ breath catches in his chest and the feeling is slightly like having a panic attack, except that a panic attack has never, ever made him feel this happy because Derek is nervous and Stiles can only imagine one thing that Derek would be nervous when asking.

“Yes!”

Derek frowns, “What?”

“I wanna marry you!”

“Marry?” Derek’s eyes widen almost comically. Well, it would have been comically if Stiles hadn’t just agreed to marry the guy without really having been proposed to.

_Fuck_.

“I thought you were going to propose,” Stiles defends himself weakly. He really wishes Derek would get off him so he can go brood in the bathroom. Derek stays though, even when Stiles pushes weakly at his shoulders.

“I was about to suggest we should move in together,” Derek says, and he’s looking at Stiles with his eyes still wide. Stiles guesses he’s ruined his chances of Derek wanting to move in with him now. “You want to marry me?”

“Look, I know it’s way too soon and that I get attached too easily, but you’re the real deal, you know. And I thought maybe you felt the same and… It was stupid, I don’t really wanna marry you. I just said yes to be nice,“ Stiles lies and, god, his eyes are stinging. He pushes at Derek again. ”Dude, can you please let go of me?”

Derek shakes his head and his face kind of lights up.

“Never,” he says and then he’s kissing Stiles and Stiles isn’t really sure what is happening, but if this is a goodbye kiss then it’s one hell of a goodbye kiss.

“I love you,” Derek articulates against his lips, “and I don’t ever want to lose you and if it’s a wedding it takes, then yes, I’ll marry you.”

Stiles’ brain kind of circuits, because _what_?

“You’ll marry me?” he asks, “are you crazy?”

“Probably,” Derek laughs and he’s still trying to kiss Stiles, even though Stiles hasn’t responded to his kisses in a while. Derek goes to kiss his neck instead and Stiles begins to laugh, because it’s crazy, that’s what it is.

This awesome, funny, _gorgeous_ man wants to marry him, the awkward, never-shutting-up Stiles Stilinksi? He puts his arms around Derek’s back and Derek’s laughter is muffled by his neck.

When they have calmed down enough Derek raises his head and looks at Stiles. His face is serious, but still more opened than he lets anyone else see.

“Do you really want to marry me?”

“Yes, I do,” Stiles tells him and kisses his nose, “but I think we should probably share an apartment first, don’t you?”

Derek nods, “Yeah, that was what I was thinking, too.”

“Besides, I want a ring when you’re proposing. And down on one knee,” Stiles says and taps at Derek’s chin.

“I could get down on two knees,” Derek suggests and waggles his eyebrows in a manner Stiles is quite sure he has picked up from him. He feels weirdly proud to be rubbing off on his boyfriend in that kind of way too.

Stiles laughs but he is soon too caught up in Derek’s kisses to even remember how to laugh.


	12. Epilog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beth](http://foreverblue-navy.tumblr.com/) is my beta as usual.
> 
> This is the last part of this story. Enjoy!

Talia wakes them up by pulling at the covers, she doesn’t really manage to pull it off as Derek’s lying on it and it’s too hot for using the covers anyway. Talia whines and Derek buries his face in Stiles’ sweaty neck.

“It’s your dog,” Stiles grumbles and Derek groans, because when they might not really care about whose dog it usually is, it’s important when they’re sleeping or trying to sleep. When Pirate ate most of Stiles’ birthday cake – yes, Scott, it was a lousy idea to leave it unattended – Stiles was the one who had to get up five times that night to take Pirate for a walk. So if Talia wants to pee then _Derek_ is the one who has to get up. Derek grumbles as he gets out of the bed and Stiles falls back asleep again.

When he wakes up later from Pirate’s wet tongue he can smell coffee all the way from the kitchen. He stretches and gets up, Pirate trailing after him. Derek is dressed and preparing toast in the kitchen. Two mugs of steaming coffee are set on the table.

“Morning,” Stiles says and lets Derek kiss him before he grabs some orange juice from the fridge. He glares at the article that Derek has placed there – it’s about “the heroic dog that saved the deputy’s life”. Stiles has taken down the article several times because it’s lame, that’s what it is, but somehow Derek has found copies of it to replace the ones Stiles threw away. Stiles knows his dad bought three editions of the paper just for that article and has it pinned to the bulletin board at the station and to his fridge at home. Scott and Laura share his sentiment – Stiles suspects there might even be a copy at the vet’s station. Stiles has given up the hope that he’ll get rid of all the clippings.

Derek places two glasses on the table and Stiles pours the OJ in them.

“I can’t believe Laura and Isaac are parents,” he says as they sit down. Derek rolls his eyes.

“They’re not. Do you see us as Talia and Pirate’s parents?”

Stiles gives Derek a blank look.

“Of course! Don’t you? You’re my baby, aren’t you, Pirate?” Pirate happily licks Stiles’ mouth as Stiles bends down and Derek gives him a disgusted look. “Don’t mind papa, he’s just jealous you get to kiss daddy,” Stiles tells Pirate, loud enough for Derek to hear and exchanges a look with Talia, who lies on the floor beside him. Stiles knows Derek calls her his baby when he thinks no one is listening.

They leave for Scott and Allison’s an hour later with Pirate and Talia in tow. The house they bought a couple months ago is closer to the park and the preserve, both places are Pirate and Talia’s favorite places to run around at. It’s further to the station than Derek’s old apartment, but also closer to Stiles’ dad and walking distance to Scott and Allison’s place so Stiles thinks it’s all good. Their neighbors love them, especially Pirate and Talia. Old Mrs. Travis says she feels safe to have _two officers of the law right_ _next door_ and shower them in cookies and pies. Stiles doesn’t mind at all, but Derek says he’s been gaining weight since the move (he hasn’t, he’s as fit as ever).

Stiles holds Derek’s hand even if Derek doesn’t really like it, he feels the ring on Derek’s finger and grins at the memory from a month earlier. He and Derek had been in New York, visiting Derek’s old job and Derek showing him all the tourist attractions the city offered.

They had been at Times Square their second night in town. Derek had been slightly distracted and off the whole day and Stiles was worried he’d done something wrong. Usually Derek had no problem calling Stiles out on his shit so the fact that Derek didn’t say anything only made Stiles more nervous. He held on to Derek’s hand so not to lose him in the crowd when Derek suddenly let go of his hand and motioned for one of the billboards. The text was clear and even though Stiles knew he was probably the only person called Stiles if not in the world, then at least in New York at the time, but he still wasn’t sure the message was for him, because that was crazy, right?

He turned to Derek to say that it was indeed crazy that someone proposed to some Stiles at the same time Stiles was there, only to see Derek going down on one knee and offering him a black, velvet box. Derek wasn’t talkative, so he didn’t wax poetic about how he couldn’t live without Stiles, how he _didn’t want to_ live without Stiles. But his hazel-green eyes were bright and Stiles understood everything Derek didn’t say. He had, however, a hard time grasping what Derek did say, because Derek just asked Stiles to marry him. It might have been the first time in Stiles’ life that he was speechless. He made a fool out of himself by squealing and crying as he threw himself around Derek’s neck, Derek barely catching his weight.

They didn’t leave the hotel room until it was time for them to get back to Beacon Hills again.

The ring feels right on Stiles’ finger, just as right as Derek feels by his side.

“Why the goofy face?” Derek asks and Stiles bumps his shoulder against Derek’s.

“Just thinking about New York.”

Derek snorts but doesn’t say anything and Stiles grins at him.

They arrive at Scott and Allison’s place and walk around to the backside. Scott is sitting in the grass with a book in the shadow of a tree and his daughter Victoria is on her back on a blanket beside him. Stiles feels the immediate need to see his goddaughter.

“Hey there, Vickers,” he says and she laughs as he blows a raspberry against her chubby tummy.

“You know Allison doesn’t like it when you call her that,” Scott says and puts down his book. A sudden yelp makes Stiles look up to see Laura and Isaac coming around the corner of the house. They have two Rottweiler puppies in leashes and both Pirate and Talia’s ears peak up when they spot the newcomers.

“Careful there, Pirate,” Stiles says and picks Vicky up from the ground. They all move to the table as Allison comes out of the house with a tray and some snacks. Pirate and Talia are both used to other dogs and have no issues with the small puppies.

“They’re almost as cute as you,” Stiles tells Vicky and bumps her on his lap.

Derek rolls his eyes where he’s seated next to Stiles but lets Vicky bite on his fingers.

Talia barks as Laura’s puppy Rainbow – a name Stiles has already given Laura crap for – bites her ear maybe a bit too hard.

“She’s such a bitch,” Laura comments, but doesn’t seem too worried.

“She’ll be good at raising them,” Derek comments, “Unlike Pirate. Look at how he just lets Athos get away with anything.”

“He’s being nice,” Stiles defends his own dog. He thinks Athos will be a great police dog though. Derek pats his hand in mocking comfort and Stiles adjusts Vicky in his lap to entangle their fingers. Vicky quickly finds their entangled hands fascinating and beats at them with her own tiny hands.

“When are you two getting kids?” Isaac asks as he eyes them.

Derek chokes on his coffee and Stiles laughs at him. Derek glares, but it’s half-hearted at the best with his red, teary eyes.

“Marriage first,” Stiles says and Laura raises her eyebrows questioningly. “It’ll be easier to adopt once we’re legally wed.”

Derek looks at Stiles with a surprised expression and Stiles quickly changes subject.

It’s later in Vicky’s room as Stiles puts her down for her nap that Derek joins him quietly. He hugs Stiles from behind and leans his chin Stiles’ shoulder, looking down at Vicky in her crib.

“You’re serious?” Derek asks, voice low as they watch Vicky put one of her stuffed dog’s paws in her mouth before closing her eyes. “About adopting?”

“Yeah, I think I am.”

“Good,” Derek says and kisses his cheek. “Me too.”

Stiles smiles softly and turns to kiss Derek’s lips. “I know. But wedding first.”

“Wedding first,” Derek agrees and leans in for another kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm one of those writers who enjoy constructive critisism, so if you have something you wanna share, feel free to do so. As always, you'll find me on [Tumblr](http://hepzheba.tumblr.com/). Come say hi!


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